Time Marches On
by kgs-wy
Summary: Five years on from the Lorwardian Invasion Event, Team Possible is still fighting the good fight, their ranks bolstered by the former villainess and now close friend Shego and their old friend Monique. Join them as they fight, love and live through life's changes, even though sometimes, change is as unexpected as it is inevitable…
1. Too short to cry, long enough to try

**Author's Foreword**

And here's a story I'm using to help with a touch of writer's block I'm sufferin' about halfway through C13 of Vacation from the Norm, Book II, and also as an apology for getting C12 out late. Yes, that means that C12 is done, but I'm awaiting Neo having time to beta it; I'm still hoping that it'll be this week, but her work and university schedules are pretty hectic, so it might not be 'til next week. Anyway, this fic _will_ be updated, but likely only _sporadically_, as it's a distinct secondary fic. I've also got a couple side-stories for Vacation in progress, so hopefully it's all good.

A couple quick side notes: first, the rating is 'T' for now, but may go up to 'M' in the future. I'll try to avoid it, but as this story is writing itself from within _my_ mixed up head, it may happen no matter how much I wish it otherwise.

Second point is, I know there's some debate as to Kim and Ron's graduation year, some say 2006 since Kim Possible started in 2003, some say 2007 since that was when Graduation was aired. I'm fine with both, and in this instance, I'm using 2007 because it allows me a bit of freedom in mixing some real life influences in with the KPverse. Yes, I'm one of those authors that use a mix of fake names for some things and real names for others.

At any rate, I do hope you enjoy!

_**Disclaimer**_

Please see my profile for my Kim Possible disclaimer.

_**Chapter - I**_

_**Too short to cry, long enough to try...**_

**RGKM-RGKM-RGKM-RGKM**

Ron Stoppable was awoken from a dead sleep by a loud, almost foundation shaking knock at the front door. He glanced around himself in confusion for a moment, before remembering he wasn't in his Go City home; he was in his old room since he was house sitting for his parents. With their typical lack of warning, they'd called him up and essentially _demanded_ that he come over and watch the house while they took Hana to Japan to visit with Hirotaka - who he'd found out a month earlier was her father - and Sensei, who was her great-granduncle. The reason for the visit was so she could visit home on her fifth birthday, and get to know her birth father, who she'd already considered her '…best friend next to her big brother, or her Aunts Kimmie, Shegsy, Yori and Mo-Mo, and just above her uncles Wadey, Felix and Ed-Ed…'.

When the third, or fourth, he wasn't sure exactly, set of loud, ringing knocks coming from his parent's front door once again drew his attention, he levered himself up with a groan. The knocks would have surprised most, but they didn't surprise Ron in the least. Neither did the sound of a woman screaming out his name angrily… After all, the woman was nothing if not temperamental, especially when it came to friends. As he got closer, he heard his name far more clearly, as well as some of the rest of what she was saying. _This could end up hurting…_ he thought with a sigh, _A _lot_!_

As he came finally crested the top of the stairs, he glanced at the door and winced. The knocks were literally shaking the door in its place, making it bow slightly in the middle. A door made of laminated, Lorwardian derived memory steel with thick oak veneer… It was designed to turn not just the door, but the house in general into a veritable fortress, much like the rest of the house - and those of anyone particularly close to Team Possible, thanks to a few up and coming supervillains that had broken various villainous by-laws - had been post invasion. It had been designed as much to protect the Stoppables from supervillains as much as to keep a certain super ninja baby from going outside whenever she pleased, at least until she was old enough to know better.

Which, thankfully, had come when she'd turned two and a half. He started thinking back to that day when the loudest knocks yet struck the door; he winced at the force, then paled slightly at the newest threat issued by the woman outside, "Stoppable, I know you're home, so open this godforsaken door or I'll blow it off its hinges and rips your nuts off for general purposes!"

Ron grumbled and walked up to the door, using his thumbprint and voice scan to open the door. As soon as it was cracked, it flew wide enough that it caught on his carelessly removed shoes, staying wide open, and he was yanked forward by his shirt. He'd barely gotten his balance back when he was shoved, quite unceremoniously, back into the house, the person shoving him back following right behind. "I might _still_ rip them off if I don't like what you have to say!"

Ron sighed as he looked at the pale green fist twined in his old jersey's front, then up the arm to a muscular but svelte shoulder, to the almost boyishly short, raven black hair with incredibly deep green highlights, to the beautiful face. A face that was twisted in a snarl of absolute indignation, a face that he had expected to see angry sooner, considering that their sparring matches had been getting more and more serious. For what reason, he had no clue, but they had been, almost as if she was trying to push him - or possibly herself - away. Nonetheless, she _was_ his friend, and a valued one, so he kept his voice light as he asked, "Elaina, what do I owe the pleas-…" His comment would've finished, and his attention would've stayed riveted on her face, but he noticed a flash of pink to her left, and the scowling countenance of his best buddy, Rufus, staring at him. With a brief, almost betrayed sounding grunt, he asked, "What the hell, Rufus?"

"Today it's _Shego_, Doofus," Elaina 'Shego' Litvinov growled, shoving him roughly into his parents living room loveseat, "and _I'm_ asking the questions, got it?" Ron could barely nod with a resigned sigh before she was leaning down, bracketing his head between her outstretched arms, "What the _hell_ were you thinking pulling what you pulled last night and then skating out like this, huh?"

"Hnk, yeah!" Rufus agreed, his little paws balled into fists and held just below his face. It would have been cute except for the fulminating anger he saw in his buddy's eyes… Which probably wasn't helping calm Shego, since his buddy had declared Elain-… Er, _Shego_, his 'Second Human' next to Ron. Which meant, if he was _this_ mad, the situation had shoved Ron into second place with Shego taking the top spot.

_This is going to be a _long_ morning…_ the blond thought as he glanced at the wall clock, seeing that it was barely 7:25 a.m., which meant that Shego'd been up since about 3 a.m. if she drove… And he'd seen her motorcycle outside, so that was quite likely. _Oh, man, she's _pissed_!_

The thought brought him precious little comfort, but it did give him a slight advantage. It meant - with the missions she'd taken on the side to give them all some down time - that she was also incredibly tired, and while she was likely under-caffeinated, it would mean she would be more easily distracted. Of course, there was Rufus, but he could use that to his advantage… _If_ he could find out what, exactly, had Shego so up in arms, and _if_ he could talk Rufus over to his side…

_And knowing Rufus,_ Ron thought with a mental wince, _It'll have to be the whole truth and nothing but…_ And he'd actually been trying to do the right thing. Too bad his parents had other ideas, unwitting or otherwise! Not that he could truly blame them… They were worried about the house, and since the only family member available was his cousin Sean, that was a no-go. At least he'd finally been vindicated; too bad it'd taken the nearly fatal fiasco at his Aunt Bertie's wedding, where his cousin Sean had _finally_ shown everyone, including his mother, just how evil he'd become, to do it… At least Aunt Bertie had been delivered to the hospital before the E. coli could do more than make her a bit ill.

A bit of a shake of his shirt brought his mind back on track, and he turned his attention back to Shego. With a frown, he snapped, "If you're talking about me getting dragged here by my paren-…"

"They couldn't have let the Tweebs come over and house sit?" Shego blurted, raising an eyebrow, "They trust them with babysitting Hana, why coul-…"

"Because the last time they gave mom's stove an 'upgra'-…" Ron's snapping tone and the use of air quotes made Shego jump as if she were about to attack him. His immediate drawing back of his hands, palms outermost, stopped her instinctive response, but only just. After a tense moment, Ron continued in a calmer voice, "Look, they're being paranoid, I know, and they _did_ invite KP… But I called, left a message, and she didn't answer _or_ call back, so considering tha-…"

"Yeah, considering you _broke up_ with her _just_ before getting called to run off home?" Shego scoffed, standing and walking a few paces away before rounding on him. She held a fist halfway up, palm upmost, a finger pointed at his face as she continued, "Do you have any idea how scre-…"

"For one, _if_ we're broken up, then it was _mutual_ between us, and I left the actual _decision_ for that up to _KP_!" Ron finally snapped, standing and thrusting his arms out to his side. The act of interrupting her, and claiming, rightly, that it was mutual, and left to her to choose, made Shego gape at him long enough to get most of his next point across, "For two, you can ask Mo about the call from the 'rents, I was talking to her at the bar you two were at last night! Hell, I didn't even get a chance to tell her about Kim and I-…"

"Mutual?" Shego hollered after her brain finally kicked into gear, "That's _not_ how _Kimmie's_ looking at it!" She took a half step towards him, leaning forward, turning her hand over and jabbing her finger in the air towards him, "And what's this _if_ crap, huh?"

"Oh for the love of…" Ron trailed off and shook his head in frustration, dropping his hands to his side and growling at his second best female friend… And three and a half year member of Team Possible. A member he hadn't had anywhere _close_ to this heated of an argument with for over a year and a half, "Are you _shitting_ me, Elaina?"

"I _told_ you, Stoppable, it's _Shego_ rig-…" Shego started, but Ron's snapping voice made her pause as he again interrupted her.

"And I don't _care_ right now, _Elaina_!" Ron snapped stepping forward and forcing Shego to draw her hand back, "Did KP tell you one goddamned thing I said, or just her _interpretation_ of what I said?" Shego's face screwed up indignantly, echoed by the indignant squeak from his left. Ron turned his attention briefly to Rufus, who had jumped onto the coffee table, raising his voice even more, "You stay out of this for now, Rufus! We'll talk late-…"

"Watch it, Stoppable," Shego grated, poking him twice in the chest with a folded index finger, using enough force that it would leave a bruise. She left her knuckle there, grinding it slightly and staring at him as if daring him to talk back to her, before continuing with a dire sounding hiss, "and _don't_ yell at The Ruf about _your_ decision!" Ron almost sighed in relief as he heard the nickname she'd long since given Rufus. It meant that, as he'd noted earlier, _pissed_, but wasn't truly _enraged_.

He knew because, for one, she'd used words and that folded knuckle to attack him, raised her voice and called Rufus by his nickname. Had she been any more irate, she'd have used Rufus' proper name, a deadly quiet voice and the diamond hard, glass fine edged of her claw would have poked _into_ his chest. And not just a little into the surface muscle, with the force she was using! Still, this was a good thing, because it that meant she wasn't _quite_ past the ability to be reasoned with, which meant she wouldn't have to be exhausted to just talk. Unfortunately, Ron also knew he'd have to get her just a _tad_ angrier, to force her just beyond thinking straight enough to keep her formidable mental defenses up. Which, in turn, would allow him to, at the very least, slip a few hints as to what was going on for her mind to chew on while she chewed him out. Maybe even allow him to stop her altogether and get it straightened out with plain conversation. Of course, that _could_ end up with them dragging a full blown, knock down, drag out fight to the front or back lawn, which was what he was trying to _avoid_ in the first place!

His thoughts passed through his head in a veritable instant, as he finally muttered, "Me watch it? How about, um, _no_…" He stared at her, one last thought lancing through his mind, _I'm throwing some of the Tweebs rocket fuel on an inferno…_ He allowed some of the anger he felt from the last few weeks, even months, show on his face, all of it an act to feed into his distractive ploy. And that meant _everything_, from the whole situation from Kim, and her recent… Realizations… To the owner of the restaurant he worked at trying to claim he wasn't _that _Ron Stoppable and thus shouldn't need special permission for missions… Then then claiming he was just joking when GJ came calling to ask why their freelance agent - who was _supposed_ to be afforded the same courtesies of National Guardsmen - was being harassed by his employer… To his eye opening conversation with Monique a few days prior… And finally, to his parents pulling, yet _again_, and _despite_ a promise _not_ to do it again, another 'This is our way of telling you…' on him. Taking a full breath, he leaned forward to the point that they were almost nose to nose and roared, "How about _you_ watch it, _Momma Bear_!"

The comment made Shego flinch like he'd slapped her, and Rufus squeaked in both protest and sudden worry. After all, Ron hadn't said something like that since Tara's ex had tried to attack her when she'd started dating Alex! Rufus' reaction, which Ron caught out of the corner of his eye, was almost comical as Shego took three steps back. Then, her eyes widened, leaving the whites clearly visible around her pupils. She dropped into a forward hunch, her hands becoming like claws as she glared at him. "What did you call me, boy?" she half screamed as searingly bright plasma wreathed her hands, barely below the level that would have caused it to drop onto the floor, most likely igniting the carpet, "What the _hell_ did you just call me, you _monkey_ powered _asshole_?"

Rufus called out in alarm, his anger clearly fading as his Human and Second Human looked about ready to fight. Then he paled when Ron, shaking his head in a mocking manner and cocking his ear as if listening to something only faintly heard, said words that made the naked mole rat wail in fear for their health, "I'm sorry, but… Did I stutter… Green Bean?"

Ron forced himself to show her a poker face of anger, although the pain he saw in her eyes made him want to apologize for taking things that far. She was still sensitive to some of the teasing she'd received all the way in junior high and high school, as was evidenced by her reaction to his words. With an inarticulate howl of protest, Shego threw her hands back and leapt forward, driving her hands forward towards his face… Only for those hands to be met by Ron's, wreathed in the pale turquoise of the Mystical Monkey Power.

With a quick spin and a laughably basic judo move, he upset her balance. He then spun around, twisting them fast enough that they moved with blurring speed. Somehow, Shego's feet barely missed the furnishings as he got her up to speed, before letting her go despite her sudden, startled protests. Shego flew through the screen door feet first, the toss taking her mostly to the sidewalk where she landed with her right foot first… Only to have that foot slide out from under her as her as the morning paper rolled out from underneath her. The loss of balance must have startled her as much as it did Ron, as she doused her plasma based flames and tried to perform a breakfall. Unfortunately, the morning dew on the grass conspired to make her palms slide instead of impact solidly, which in turn, made her upper body whip back, sending her 'ass over teakettle', as Kim's uncle Slim was known to say.

Even with his surprise at her tumble, Ron was out the door in an instant, with Rufus, now glowing a pale blue as well, a few steps behind. The clothing challenged rat was only delayed by the need to shut the door, at least partially. The connection between the two allowed Ron to realize that Rufus intended to try and get between them and stop the impending fight, but it was, unfortunately, something that had been brewing. He glanced back and snapped, "Stay outta this, Rufus!"

Rufus shook his head negatively, but not because he was planning to ignore his Human's words. Ron knew he just didn't want them fighting, but, well… Shego seemed to need this, in some ways, and he was sure that Kim had, however unintentionally, misunderstood him… And made their decision for them. Now, all he had to do was get Shego to release enough tension that he could actually _talk_ to her. _If she didn't knock herself out with that fall…_

That seemed to be nearly the truth as the pale beauty moaned, pushing herself to her hands and knees, before reaching her right hand up to gingerly feel the back of her head. While the hand was clean of blood, it was obvious she was going to have one hell of a goose egg. Ron let himself wince this time, especially when he saw that the cement of the sidewalk had a few hairline cracks where her head had first struck. _Thank _God_ she's so damn tough…_ he thought, before forcing his mouth into motion, "Two things, Elaina," Ron sighed, "First, are you gonna be okay, and second, are you ready to actually _listen_ to me?"

"I'm fine!" Shego growled, glaring at him, adding almost as an afterthought, "No thanks to the damn paperboy…" With a sigh, she levered herself up, still glaring at the blond, "And you have two minutes to tell me wha-…" She probably didn't understand why Ron had blushed at that point, but obviously didn't care; she was still mad, but calm enough to actually talk, thanks to the pain lancing from the back of her head.

"I think you should give me five," Ron murmured, glancing back at the front door to his parents' house, which lay not five feet behind him, "And we should really talk about this inside…" He glanced meaningfully at Kim's parents' home, which was only separated from his parents' house by a still empty lot where an empty house had once stood... Up until the Lorwardian Invasion Event.

"Right…" Shego rolled her eyes, her hands still occasionally flaring with the cosmic energies contained within her body, "Don't want Poppa Possible to he-…"

"Actually," Ron flushed deeper, taking his shirt off and tossing it at her, "Um, your top kinda split when you landed… So I'm more worried about the Tweebs."

"Wha-…" Shego started as she caught the article of clothing, then glanced down at her bared chest, her breasts only covered by the frilly, lacy, deep purple bra she preferred when not in her catsuit. The expensive, designer blouse's buttons had popped open, half of them ripping through the cloth. Compounding that, the high tech, zipper replacement seal of her 'leathers' had somehow ripped to either side of the seal proper, ruining the article's ability to close. "Dammit!" she howled, quickly donning Ron's shirt, forcing herself not to light up despite her anger flaring intensely, lest she ignite Ron's shirt as well.

Ron glanced back at the front door and listened, hoping that the pair of sirens he heard weren't meant for them, "Probably better call the police and tell them it was a sparring match gone wrong…" Shego grumbled in agreement and followed Ron into the house, opening her mouth to speak as Ron shut the door behind her. She didn't have a chance to, however; Ron immediately turned her, grasped her shoulders firmly, but not painfully, and swung her around. As soon as he let go, she backed up at the sudden action, bumping into the door, and was cut off from further comment when Ron's arms snapped out, his palms landing to either side of her head on the door. When he was sure he had her attention, he leaned in close enough that their lips were almost brushing together, staring deeply into her eyes while growling in a startlingly commanding tone, "No! _You_ stay quiet this time, let me call the cops and clear this mess up, and then you'll let _me_ speak! Understand?"

When Shego nodded, Ron pulled back and turned away quickly, marching towards the stairs and his bedroom to grab his Kimmunicator. Because he was no longer in the room, he didn't see Shego blush faintly, turning a chagrined, almost ashamed and forlorn gaze after him. A moment later, she swallowed and whispered, "O-okay, Ronnie…"

Rufus, however, was still in the room, and slapped his little forehead as he realized just what he'd seen. "Oh, no…" he muttered as several pieces of the puzzle he'd been trying to understand for the last two and a half months fell into place, not just between his two Humans, not just between Monique his Human's Lady, but between his Human and his Human's Lady…

**RGKM-RGKM-RGKM-RGKM**

"Oh, lovely…" Monique McCoy sighed as she noticed that Elaina's bike was gone, which, with Ron in Middleton, left her to her own devices for hangover recovery… And while she could cook serviceably, quite well in a few cases, she wasn't nearly to Ron or the former thief's level in cooking overall. She still wished she knew what Ron had been asking her to do the night before, but at least he'd been able to ask her not to get _too_ drunk, and all but begged her not to be out on the prowl that night. While she'd been contemplating it, what with it being almost two months since she'd last had any sexual contact with anyone, the itch wasn't too bad, so she'd readily agreed. And then he'd been called by his parents, and had been forced to arrange a ride from Wade so he was at his parents' home before they left.

_Assholes,_ Monique thought bitterly, _They could have waited for him to finish his conversation instead of pulling out the 'Don't you care about your family?' card on him. At least Tara and Alex kept me from doing anything _too_ stupi-…_ She grimaced and let out a small whine, the thought cut off as the rising sun lanced bright rays from the Sloth's rear window straight into her eyes. Quickly covering her eyes, she made her way to the shade of the east facing front door to the house.

Using a palmprint and voice scan, she let herself in the four bedroom, three and a half bath house she shared with Ron, Kim and Elaina. The exact style of house she'd once told her parents she'd live in when she hit it big, but… It hadn't been purchased by her with her own money. Not that it mattered, since the person who _had_ bought the house had no only helped make her one of the 'most promising up and coming names' in fashion, but was their friend and fellow teammate, Elaina.

It still boggled her mind that she'd ended up becoming a part of Team Possible. It'd started with her fascination with both interpersonal as well as over the air and telecommunications, which had led her to being all she'd been at first, Team Possible's dedicated communications member. She'd love it, since it allowed her to help, and her presence allowed Wade to concentrate on strategizing with Kim and hacking. She'd communicate with local air traffic towers, police, governmental agencies or whoever they were helping, which was where her self taught diplomatic and interpersonal skills had been a boon.

She'd moved up to a full field member after busting out a set of wrestling moves when Professor Dementor had tried to steal the Sloth while escaping… With her in it! Which had led to her being trained intensively by three martial artists of incredible caliber. But at least it had seemed to open up her last growth spurt, allowing her to shoot up to slot in between Ron's five-foot-eight and Elaina's six-foot of height. And the _body_ she'd developed!

She'd always had more hip than Kim, but while she was a bit narrower in the hip than Shego, her rear was more rounded. With the training, her natural booty had tightened up and become, in her eyes, dimpled perfection! Firm, muscular, but with that perfect amount of bodyfat that let it jiggle _just_ so when she put a bit of sway into her hips. Her legs, something that had driven her to place third in the Colorado state high school decathlon their senior year, were even stronger, though thanks to her growth, long and lean. Her arms were solid, athletic yet feminine, and she no longer needed shoulderpads to fill out any dresses!

She couldn't complain in the long run over the training, but it hadn't been _nearly_ as fun as Kim made it out to be… At first, anyway. Eventually, though, with the tendency of the now _very_ fit Ron to spar in just his boxers, and both Kim and Elaina's tendency to spar in tight fitting yoga pants and sports bras, it had become _very_ enjoyable. And not just for the eye candy, though that had helped at first…

Shaking off the woolgathering - and the images of a sweaty Kim, Ron and Elaina - she headed to the kitchen, hoping it wasn't a disaster area considering the size of last night's meal. She sighed in relief upon seeing that all the dishes that'd been left in the very modern kitchen were all clean and put away, and smiled, deciding to make breakfast. She walked over to the pantry and opened it, smirking as she saw there was a half empty bag of Texas toast. While she might not be as good at cooking as Ron or Elaina, she was far from a slouch, and she wanted something sweet and decadent. _Fridge…_ she thought, grabbing the toast, some sugar and a can of sweetened condensed milk, walking over to the counter and setting them below the spice rack as she opened the fridge. _Cream cheese, berries, eggs and cream…_

She quickly went about gathering the rest of the tools, bowls and pans she'd need. She was almost as good at making syrups as Elaina, who was a tad better at that than Ron was, so she started some water and sugar to boiling first, placing the cream cheese close to it to soften a bit. She turned the oven on to the perfect temp and set a timer, then she mixed the eggs and cream with a bit of nutmeg, cinnamon and a touch of salt. As soon as she had it to the proper consistency, she began layering some of the Texas toast into a nine by thirteen by two inch baking pan, pouring some of the egg mix on top. She ended up with three layers of the toast and spiced egg wash, just as the water began boiling. She dumped the mix of blackberries, blueberries and diced strawberries into the water and washed her hands before putting the cream - the only perishable that wouldn't be needed - back in the fridge and standing back, doing the one thing she hated most about cooking: waiting.

The oven's alarm beeped and she placed the toast and egg mix into the oven on the middle rack, then turned down the boiling sugar water and berry mix down to low after giving it a quick stir. Smiling to herself, she reset the timer on the oven, washed her hands again, all before pulling the blender, followed by the can opener, from the cupboard, setting both up and grabbing herself a glass of water. She had just finished the water when something drew her attention from the kitchen. Taking a quick glance at everything, she moved the now softened cream cheese next to one of the bowls. She opened them before making her way towards the stairs, where she'd… Heard something.

"Kim?" Monique asked she began to make her way up the stairs. The startled, shuddering intake of breath was all it took to tell Monique that something was definitely wrong. She knew it wasn't just Ron taking off like he had at his parent's demand. She quickly thought over the past couple months, and winced as the pieces fell into place. _Oh, great,_ she sighed, hurrying up the stairs leading to the room Kim shared with Ron. _What the hell happened last night?_ she sighed as she thought about last night, shaking her head, _His parents calling him off didn't help, I'm sure…_

"Kim, GF, you okay?" she asked as she topped the stairs, knowing that she wasn't, but having to start the inevitable conversation _somehow_.

"No…" Kim moaned, the tears obvious in her voice, "Ron… He…"

"What'd Potential Boy do now, Kim?" Monique asked as she stepped into the room, feeling her heart clench as she looked upon the scene before her. Kim was surrounded by photo albums and a few digital picture frames, and was playing some punk rock on her stereo. Fighting the urge to smile and nod her head with the fast, driving music, she awaited Kim's answer, realizing in that moment it was a new album that their friend, Alex Eressos, had allowed Kim to rip, _Well, it can't be _that_ bad if she's listening to punk, and not that death metal Shego got Ron listening to…_

The latter was something Kim only listened to when she was feeling particularly down, which hadn't happened since she and Ron had started drifting almost six months ago… Or when she was _truly_ angry, which was, thankfully, rare. Finally, Kim looked up at her, tears welling up in her red-rimmed green eyes before whispering in a defeated tone, "Ron broke up with me 'cause…" She glanced over at their entertainment center, where a forty-two inch HD flatscreen sat, murmuring, "It's _stupid_…"

"WSS, GF?" Monique asked, earning a suddenly annoyed, but half-hearted glare from her best friend. She raised her hands palm out, waving them in a soft, placating manner, "Er, okay, dropping Monique-speak for now. What's. So. Stupid?"

"It's…" Kim sighed and looked down at the picture frame in her hand, "It doesn't matter… He…"

"Kim…" Monique said, carefully moving two of the photo albums out of the way and taking a seat by her best friend, trying to keep her voice completely neutral, "Ron talked to me the other day, y'know…" Kim glanced over at her with a mix of grief, fear and, Monique wasn't surprised to see, an weird mix of betrayal and confused anger, "He told me what's been goin' on between you two and asked for some advice. And I gave it to him, but I very much doubt, if he followed it, that he broke up with you…"

"But…" Kim's face, which had become somewhat livid, fell back into a look of grief, "That's what he said."

"Kim…" Monique sighed, reaching out and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, "What did he say, _exactly_…"

"I…" Kim started, her face screwing up in confusion, "What… Mo, I…" She sighed and stared down at her most recent picture with Ron. "I'm pretty sure it's over, Mo…"

It was from Kim's last birthday; the red-head was seated next to the blond, and while her gaze as she stared at Ron was loving, her eyes were shining in the way only a drunk persons can, while her arms around Ron's neck were… Not desperate, but overly clingy, as if she knew something that she had yet to share with anyone. Monique and Elaina were leaning in from behind and to either side, Monique behind Kim and Elaina behind Ron, all of them holding up a mug of beer. The one thing that Monique noticed, considering her discussion with Ron four days prior, and their conclusion only _two_ days prior, and various _other_ discussions she'd had… The hand she had on Kim's shoulder was distinctly possessive. _I hope Kim doesn't realize _that_ little fact…_

"Bullshit." Monique finally declared, as bluntly as a sledgehammer to the face, "You're going to remember what he said, Kim, or I'm going to tell you what he and I worked out that he _should_ say!"

"But…" Kim started, then stared at her friend. Monique's eyes were hooded, hiding almost all of her emotions, except for something she couldn't quite understand. She blinked, then sighed, looking away from her beautiful, chocolate skinned friend, whispering, "Did he tell you about… Um…" She gestured helplessly, shrugging in embarrassment.

"That you've started to show interest the vag as much, if not more, than you do in him?" Monique asked, drawing a strangled squeak of agreement from Kim, who still looked away. "Yes. He also mentioned that you've been getting into _romantic_ lesbian things, like TV shows, movies or novels, and that it's been going on for almost six months…" She paused and when Kim said nothing, she added, "Not to mention, your sex life has actually gotten _better_ since then, as long as you get some exposure, either at the club watching and dancing with chicks or watching porn!"

"That's not-…" Kim started, her voice rising indignantly as she spun her head around towards Monique, but stopped in shock as she caught the very, _very_ Shego-like smirk Monique had allowed to spread on her face. For some reason, Kim blinked, then swallowed as if against a dry throat.

"Don't BS me, girl!" Monique snapped, shaking her head in fond, if frustrated, annoyance, "I've _seen_ you looking… At Tara, at Alex, at Bonnie when she visited Tara and Alex, at Elaina… Hell, even some random hotties around the campus and in the clubs, even around town!" Monique let out a sigh and reached an arm easily around the red-head's shoulders, and couldn't help but note how… Comfortable the position was. She was glad Kim was looking away, as her friend didn't see the worried grimace cross her features, before murmuring, "There's nothing wrong with liking boys _and_ girls, you know… I mean, look at Tara and Alex, or even Elaina, right?" Kim glanced back at her, just in time to see the pout that Monique had dragged out, a pout almost as devastating as the Possible puppy dog pout, "Never caught you lookin' at me, though, I'm almost jealous."

"What, you want a wannabe lesbian staring at you?" Kim harshed slightly, the words directed mostly at herself, before sighing and murmuring, "Okay, okay, you have a point… And sorry for harshing, it's just…" Kim reached up and rubbed at her eyes, then turned her face half away from Monique's. The black woman followed her gaze only to see her concentrating on a picture from their senior prom. After a moment, the red-head sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly, "Maybe I've… Been thinking about things… But I _love_ Ron, I _do_…" Even with her face looking somewhat away, Monique could see the frown marring Kim's beautiful features, "But our sex life wasn't bad before… I mean, we're healt-…"

"Umm-hmm, right…" the black woman interrupted in a drawn out fashion before chuckling, "I have a bridge in Brooklyn for sale, and De Nile isn't just a river in Egypt…" Monique let her arm drop to the red-head's waist, and while she stiffened slightly, she almost immediately relaxed far more than she had been. Monique kept note of it for later, but just let her arm rest there, her hand on Kim's hip in a friendly manner. She then reached up to make her friend look her in the eye with gentle fingers on her chin, "Kim, Elaina and I went from hearing the occasional moaning and heavy breathing - not to mention incredibly rare bouts of PDA - to wishing you two could soundproof your room and wondering if you could be arrested for indecency for the PDA, y'know?."

"Monique!" Kim screeched, turning back towards Monique and clasping her hands over her mouth, which drew a laugh from Monique. A moment later, after seeming to calm down some, Kim dropped her hands and hissed, "That's not true! I'm not a screa-…"

"You _weren't_ a screamer, Kim, at least not during the time _I've_ lived here." Monique sniggered, "Now, though?" She shrugged, then giggled as her best friend blushed the same color as her hair, the blush crawling quickly below her neckline, _I wonder how far dow-…_ She barely resisted the urge to slap herself, _Calm down, girl!_ After a moment to make sure her voice was steady, she cocked her head, "So you like girls, really?" Kim nodded, then started to shake her head… Before shrugging helplessly, "Ron said he was okay with it, y'know… Even if it meant you eventually broke up over it. And that brings me back to what I said a few minutes ago."

"Mo…" Kim started, but two gentle fingers on her lips stopped her… And Monique wasn't sure if the tremble she felt was Kim's lips or her own fingers.

"Nu-uh, GF. This whole sitch, as you call 'em, is beyond FUBAR. So you'll listen, and you'll _think_… And realize that, if anyone broke up, it was _you_ with _Ron_…" Kim's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to protest, but Monique took a page from Elaina's book and interrupted her, "Uh, bup, bup, bup, bup, bup, no talky, just listen, 'kay, GF?"

Kim scowled and reached up and pulled Monique's hand away from her, unconsciously twining her left hand with Monique's right. With a huff, she bit out, "Fine, fine, I'll listen!" The pout that overtook her scowling face bordered on the Possible puppy dog pout, but didn't _quite_ go all the way, for which Monqiue was thankful.

"And you keep that friggin' thing on lockdown!" Monqiue warned her sternly, squeezing Kim's hand gently, "You trust me, right, Kim?" Kim was too surprised by the question to do more than nod numbly. Monique sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, thinking on what she and Ron had worked out together so she didn't screw it up. "Okay, Kim… Ron and I worked out that, well… First off, that he needed to do a few experiments and get back to me." Kim frowned, opening her mouth only to earn a frown from Monique. Kim rolled her eyes, but stayed silent, to which Monique smirked, "Good girl, now… I had him… Test a couple things with you. You noticed, on Friday, that after the mission, we just came home? You and he were a bit… Frisky, but we were too tired to go out, and we just watched that old Willis movie…"

"Die Hard." Kim supplied, shaking her head in mild annoyance as she remembered. Monique knew that Kim thought the movie was merely okay, despite Ron, Elaina and Monique loving it it, "At least it wasn't Bricks of Fury IV…"

"I hear that." Monique agreed, knowing that Elaina and Ron loved it, but she and Kim shared opinions on it wholeheartedly, "Anyway… Ron also made sure not to watch any porn, or mention any other women, before you two got… Busy. And from what Elaina and I could tell, you were enjoying yourself, but not as much as you _have_ been, right?" Kim nodded, obviously remembering that the night had been one of there merely 'alright' nights having sex. "Now, the next night, we all went clubbing… With Tara and Alex… Elaina and I wore that new clubwear I'm working on, and we all danced together, you and Ron getting a load of Elaina and I, and you getting a full load of Sweetness and Sexy-Lexi."

Kim flushed deeply, looking around the room at anything other than Monique, drawing a soft snicker from the taller woman, who gestured at Kim's chest. "Uh, huh, you're already getting revved up, girl…" Kim squeaked and slouched her shoulders, almost covering herself but restraining her instinctive reaction. "Then we got home, you dragged Ron into the bedroom, where he said he popped in some lez porn…"

"Yeah…" Kim nodded and, much to Monique's surprise, seemed to be breathing heavier, "It… Wasn't the stuff made for men, but actually by women for women, so… I like watching it…" She swallowed, her blush, which had begun to fade, coming back as an aroused flushing of the skin.

_Oh, God,_ Monique swallowed at that point, feeling a bit flush herself, _That's _so_ sexy…_ She was saved by whatever was on her mind as she smelled the cooking syrup's aroma wafting into the bedroom, and glanced at Kim, "Hey, I got breakfast cooking… Come down with me and continue this there?"

"I…" Kim started, glancing down at all the photos. Her face crumpled slightly, before Monique squeezed her slightly, reassuringly. A moment later, Kim nodded and sighed, "Sure…"

"Good deal." Monique said, letting go and pushing herself up, before reaching down to offer Kim a hand up. The red-head winced and groaned as her joints popped, "How long have you been up here, Kim?"

"Um, since I talked to She-…" She blushed, knowing that their friend preferred her real name, but still having trouble with it whenever she was stressed, despite almost a year and a half getting used to it, "Er, since a little before Elaina left… Around 2:45?"

"She said she'd crash out when she got home," Monique muttered, "We ran into a couple people she knew in high school and didn't want to deal with their shit. Among _other_ things she's been stressed about the last few weeks!"

"Um, but… She, uhm, she said she was just going to go driving… I…" Monique stopped at the halfway point, seeing Kim halted at the top of the stairs, "I may have said Ron broke up with me… And, um…" Monique's quickly descending frown made Kim wince, "I… Might have implied Ron used his parents needing a house sitter as an excuse to take off on me?"

"If you love Ron so much," Monique exclaimed in a suddenly heated manner, "What in the _hell_ were you thinking telling her that? Even without the last few days she's had or running into those asshats last night?"

"Few days she's had?" Kim parroted in sudden worry, "Wha-…"

"Um, Kim…" Monique growled, "Look, it was supposed to be a surprise, but she got called in by Betty last week for some advice on a couple up and coming villains… Then, somewhere during the discussion, she made a deal to get GJ some extra agents by helping their ops to get us some time off this coming week. She finished off a few ops in Africa, and a couple in the Koreas this week… And the asshats from last night? An ex-boyfriend that broke up with her 'cause of _her_ high school's food chain and his wife, her high school's version of Bonnie!"

"But why would she-… Oh, shit…" Kim muttered, her eyes going wide when she realized the importance of the following week, and what it would mean for Elaina. Monique's anger stopped cold at Kim's exceedingly rare curse, "I… Think I'd better call her an-…"

"She took her bike, Kim," Monique sighed, hanging her head for a moment, "Better call Ron's place, first, 'cause it's a damn good bet she's already there!" With that, Monique turned away and stalked down the steps and towards the kitchen, to make sure her syrup hadn't burned, "And you better ask him to tell you _exactly_ what he said last night!"

"Just great…" Kim sighed, turning around and going to her bedroom to call Ron.

Monique ignored the worried tone in Kim's voice, too angry at her friend for being so unthinking about everything. She knew the red-head was… Sensitive… About dating, but to completely misunderstand what Ron meant when they had their talk? _That's presuming the doofus followed through and said what we talked about…_ Monique sighed as she heard the slightly raised voice of Kim denying something, presumably from Ron's end of the conversation. A moment later, there was another denial, this time angry and screeching, followed by a heated, but thankfully quieter discussion. _Okay, I'm guessing he did, and Kim jus-…_

"Fine, whatever, Ron!" Kim screamed clearly, making Monique wince as she stirred her syrup, which was just about perfect in consistency. She poured all of the syrup and half of the berries it into the blender she'd set up earlier, before placing the lid and turning it to max speed for fifteen seconds.

Sighing in frustration at the situation, she shut the burner off and dropped the rest of the berries into a convenient bowl, and the saucepan in the sink. She turned back and stopped the blender just in time to hear Kim hollering once again. She let the thick, pulpy syrup sit in the blender for a few moments as she opened the can of sweetened condensed milk and poured it into the bowl next to the cream cheese. She scooped all of it out with a spatula, before placing two bricks of cream cheese and whisking them together until they were smooth. A moment later, she heard a fearful Kim, who had made it to the top of the stairs, all but begging as she made her way down, "No… Ron, please, let's discuss it when you and She-… _Elaina_ are back. _Yes_, we _will_, goddammit! What do you mea-… Dammit, Ron don't hang u-…"

Kim let out an intense screech of rage, throwing her wrist Kimmunicator across the kitchen, where it slammed into the bulletproof armor glass of the French doors leading to the surprisingly large back yard. "You stubborn sonuvabitch!"

"Sounds like he told you what he said last night before he came to the club lookin' for Elaina and I?" Monique said mildly, earning a growl and a scathing glare from Kim.

"He said he…" Kim started, then narrowed her eyes, "How about you tell me what you think he said, and I'll tell you what he told me he said?"

"Fine by me, Screamer." Monique quipped, tapping the cream cheese off of the whisk and smirking at the wordless snarl Kim directed her way. _Elaina's right, teasing her when she's pissed _is_ fun!_ Carefully schooling her features into neutrality before glancing at Kim, she shrugged and added, "Hey, if Elaina can make nicknames, so can I."

"Whatever," Kim snapped as she slumped down into one of the breakfast bar's seats, tears once again welling up in her eyes, "Just get on with it."

"Fine," Monique agreed before turning back to the cream cheese and pouring the blended syrup into the mix, followed by the berries, before folding them together with the spatula, "What Ron and I came up with was that he should leave it all up to you. We didn't exactly write up a speech, but essentially, he was supposed to tell you how it's become obvious you're more interested in women, sexually _and_ romantically, than him. We also thought that you should really think about what, and who, you _really_ want. That he'd stay with you if he truly made you happy, but if you wanted to try women out, that you could take a break. And, if that wouldn't work, that you'd have to decide if you'd prefer women or Ron, and if you prefer women, that you should break up."

"Okay, that's exactly what he said." Kim sniffled as the import of Monique's words settled into her mind, "So… What? You two're saying that my interpreting Ron's actions as a break up means I want to break up with him?" Monique cocked an eyebrow, as to her mind the red-head had asked the most bvious question in the world, with the most obvious answer, "That's _bull_! I _love_ him!"

"So do I!" Monique chuckled, shaking her head, "So does Elaina, Tara, Alex, his parents, _your_ parents, your brothers, li'l Hana…" Monique raised a finger before Kim could respond, again with the obvious, "But, Kim… We talk to each other, right? Confide nearly everything?"

"Well…" Kim looked away and squirmed a bit, "Mostly, things we can… Y'know…" Monique let a small sound of dissatisfaction emanate from her throat as she finished with her spread, and Kim blushed, "Mo, don't be like that… I… I was worried about, y'know… Saying I might like looking at…" Monique's other eyebrow raised to join the first and she cocked her head to the side, her eyes demanding that Kim finish. Kim let out a little squeak of worry, before adding quickly, "Women and stuff… I'm scared…"

"Kim," Monique sighed and walked over to lay her hands on the red-head's shoulders, "We're not in high school, so you don't have to worry about small minded idiots badmouthing you… Your parents are _fine_ with Tara and Alex being your friends; hell, I remember your mom _teasing_ you about it when Tara mentioned she used to have a crush on Ron! And your _dad_ is the one that experimented with bisexuality in college, remember _that_ conversation?" Kim groaned in embarrassment, indeed remembering the conversation a little over a year earlier. "And, yeah, there's bigoted assholes out there, but c'mon, when was the last time that bothered you?" Monique let herself smile so the sting of her next comments didn't hurt Kim, "Well, other than pissing you off when someone complained about you having a green freak, a kike and a nigger as part of Team Pos-…"

"Don't even bring that up, Mo!" Kim snapped, bringing her hands up and brushing Monique's off of her shoulders, before crossing her arms under her petite bosom and huffing, "This isn't about how people will react to me… I know my parents would be fine if they knew, I'm just…"

"Yes?" Monique asked in a drawn out fashion.

"I'm just…" Kim sighed, slumping forward slightly, tears yet again welling up and this time falling from her eyes, "I'm scared, Mo… I've been with Ron since '06! I've…" Kim choked up and turned away, her shoulders shaking with barely withheld grief. "That's almost six and a half years! And I do love him, as my best friend, romantically…" She glanced back, swallowing nervously, "Even sexually…"

"Then why are you so convinced that he's broken up with you, Kim?" Monique asked, reaching up daringly to cup her friend's face, staring into her beautiful green eyes.

"Because!" Kim cried desperately, "If… If I can't keep a relationship with a man I _love_? What's that mean for me? How _stupid_ am I that I can't figure out how to stay in love with someone that loves me like he doe-…"

"Shush, Kimmie…" Monique murmured, borrowing a nickname from Elaina that almost always calmed the red-head down. A moment later it seemed to have worked as Kim's breathing slowed and her tense muscles relaxed a bit. It was only then that Monique continued, "He never said you _are_ broken up, just that it's your choice. He even said that you two could take a break if it'd help you decide what you want… So I gotta ask: is it really hard to believe that you might just prefer women over men, possibly even romantically?" Kim's eyes had continued to widened as Monique spoke. When the fashionista's question finally filtered through whatever was going through the red-head's mind, her beautiful face began to crumple in a mix of confusion and worry, "Yes, you love Ron. And let's face it, GF… It took you and Ron _how_ long to get past second base? And then you only did it after you had that little freak out session with me back on Christmas '08?"

"I… I didn't want to go too fas-…" Kim started, and Monique reached up to tweak her nose gently with her free hand.

"Again, that's not what you said then, and considering how much that boy loves you, and how much you love him, that shouldn't have been an issue." The gentle admonishment drew an annoyed huff from Kim, but Monique saw that her best friend was thinking. Reaching up and cupping the red-head's other cheek with her free hand, she said softly, "You told me you were waiting on Ron, and getting rather impatient with how dense he was being about the clues you'd been dropp-…"

"And it was all 'cause he actually believed Dad's bull about the black hole." Kim sighed, looking away with her eyes, since Monique still held her cheeks steadily.

"And yet, from what Ron told me, _his_ hesitation was all because of _yours_, every time you two got close! You even _admitted_ as much to him, and said that his junk made you feel good, it freaked you out too… Yet you still had a solid sex life after you forced yourself past the issues, right?" Kim nodded, and Monique smiled softly as Kim managed a watery, but honest giggle, "But it started to change, didn't it? That anxiety came back until you could picture yourself with women?"

Kim sucked in a startled breath, her eyes flitting around in an attempt not to look at Monique, "I… How did… I didn't even tell Ron that last part!"

"I know." Monique murmured mysteriously, "You just told him about being intimidated or afraid of his mini-Ron. So, let me guess… Now you're looking at girls a whole new way, wondering if maybe you wouldn't lose that excitement with another woman, like you have with every boy you've been with? Even Ron?"

"I…" Kim shrugged uncomfortably, but did glance back at Monique, "I don't know, Mo… Maybe… I just… I don't know. I don't want to hurt Ron by breaking up, nor myself. I love him, like I keep saying…"

"You remember my advice after your little freakout before you and Ron finally took the plunge?" Monique sighed out, dropping her hands with a fond shake of her head.

"Yeah," Kim grumbled, her blush rushing back with a vengeance, "Talk to my mother." Kim shook her head in consternation, glancing away from Monique and chewing on her lips, "But I… I don't want to disappoint them breaking up with Ron like that… Dad really likes him, and he's really come to accept him as a potential son-in-law… I'd have to start that all over with a wo-…" Her breath hitched a bit, and stopped what she was saying by shrugging, "Plus, Mom and Dad were hoping I'd be able to have kids someday…"

"Kim, listen to what you just said." Monique prodded gently, all but praying that her soft smile didn't betray the hope she felt stirring in her chest, "And think about this: lesbians _can_ have kids, you know… As for working things out with your dad, he's started to accept that you're his young woman, not his little girl, and you never know," she paused, hoping she wasn't making a huge mistake by continuing, "you might find a woman that your family knows, and likes, enough that he'd be okay with things!"

Kim blinked as Monique folded her arms across her belly, seeing the red-head running her excuses, especially that last one, through her own mind. She turned away, afraid that she would show too much in her expression, and checked the timer on her breakfast casserole. _Just a couple minutes, perfect!_ She let her hands drop and walked over to the stove, and that's when Kim gasped, drawing the beautiful fashion designer's attention back to her. Kim was staring at her, a hand over her mouth and her eyes wide. "No… No way, I didn't mean… I… I…"

"You? You?" Monique turned a full blown smirk on Kim, hoping the Shego-like expression would hide the fact that it was completely plastic.

"I… Didn't mean it like that!" Kim half-hissed, half-shouted at Monique, her tone suggesting she was trying to convince herself more than the gently smirking woman in front of her.

"Kim, GF, BFGFFL." the use of her old text speech, especially the phrase, 'Best friend Girlfriend for life', snapped Kim out of whatever panicky loop she'd driven herself into, "Your mom, if you remember, is supposed to have the weekend off. So call her. After breakfast. Then call Ron." Kim opened her mouth to speak, but Monique cut her off, "Girl, Elaina's been awake for nearly four days! If she hasn't called back to bitch you out, then she's out like a light! So chill, and get ready to eat some of Momma Mo's amazing French Toast Casserole, and think about what you'll say to your mom, dad and boyfriend… Or potential ex, however you want to do this!"

"Er…" Kim managed to squeeze out dully, then sighed and hung her head in defeat, "Fine, fine…" A moment later, she took a deep sniff, her eyes widening in shock. She wasn't quite back to herself, but her subdued tone held most of her 'Essential Kimness', as Ron called it, "Mo, that smells amazing!"

"I know, right?" Monique sniggered, grabbing a couple of potholders and opening the oven. The aroma of perfectly done french toast quickly wafted through the kitchen, making them both salivate. "Something my dad taught me how to make _years_ ago…"

"Well, what're you waiting for?" Kim murmured, smile mostly devoid of worry, but still strained, "Let's dig in!" Before Monique could move to do more than nod, she found herself enveloped in a pair of strong arms, with a fall of beautiful red hair nestled under her chin, "Thanks… For listening, but not… Y'know… Letting me be stupid…"

Kim sighed as Monique leaned down slightly to kiss the crown of her head, murmuring softly, "Sure thing, Kim…" Monique gently pushed Kim away and smiled down at her, before turning, grabbing a knife and slicing their breakfast into roughly three inch squares, "Sure thing… It's what best friends are for, right?" In her mind, Monique allowed herself to add something she was truly terrified to say aloud, _I'll _always_ be your best friend, Kim, because I love you more than I may ever be able to say…_

Had Kim been fully herself, she'd have seen that Monique's gaze was just a bit more intense than normal, and that the rich, milk chocolate of her brown eyes were a bit more watery than she'd ever seen them…

**Author's Notes**

Well, there's chapter one! Hope you enjoyed, and that it didn't ramble on _too_ much. This work, as I'm sure you can tell, is written without a beta other than myself. So, unfortunately, there will be times where it gets lost in the details, and there will probably be inconsistencies and continuity issues… But I hope those'll be small and tolerable! Anyway, on with my thoughts…

As to what's going on, well… It seems that Shego's _very_ protective of her own, and that Ron's descriptive nickname, "Momma Bear", while obviously frustrating, is quite apropos! It also seems that she doesn't react well to sleep deprivation… The reason for which will be explained next chapter! And, at least Ron seems to know her well enough to calm her down when necessary. And Rufus, of course! Though the little guy didn't exactly show his best colors this chapter, he seemed to realize that there was more going on than he realized. But then, Ron seems to have kept him in the dark, which seems rather unusual for the best buds, non?

Then there's Kim. Sometimes, people like her tend to get lost in their own fears, as evidenced in the chapter. Unfortunately, some of her fears seem to have been quite accurate, once she admitted at least a couple of them. Will she admit to more, later? Will she accept her own changing views, or try and force the issue down her own, fear driven path? Even I, as the author, don't know for sure! But, eventually, things will work out, one way or the other… And finally Monique… Poor girl, obviously stuck between a rock and a hard place, emotionally. But what, exactly, is the rock, and what, exactly is the hard place? Time will tell, time will tell.

A quick side note, I fixed the chapter title with one more apropos to my thoughts with the fic title... And a few errors, flow issues and outright screw ups I thought I'd fixed before uploading. Sorry for not catching that whoops to begin with! ^_^'

And that's that! Remember, everyone: there's lots of fics out there so keep up the reading, and if ya like a fic, have some advice or etc., give the author a review!


	2. Too short to cry, long enough to try Pt2

**Author's Foreword**

A bit of forewarning, there will be frank description of marijuana use - for medical reasons - in this chapter. If you disagree with it, well, you've been warned.

And now... Review replies!

JP1124 and HairyLimey: you guys had very similar reviews, so I'll answer them together; thanks for the compliment, JP, and glad you and HairyLimey both love it! I hope this is soon enough for the both of ya, but to remember, I might not be updating _this_ regularly in the future. XD

Mengsk: welk, Mengsk, it _is_ five years post invasion according to my summary so... I have no idea where ya thought it was going? As to Drakken, he'll show up next chapter, and is mentioned in this one. And it's twenty-something romance. And as this chapter will show, Kim's stubborn, but willing to talk...

studyofchaos: well, my avatar may be KiGo oriented, but that's a show of respect from me to the side of the fandom that drew me to Kim Possible fanfiction, as there are some great KiGo fanfics out there. That said, I'm into well written fanfics of most KPverse pairings. As to Ron, he's an important part of Kim's life, why throw him under the bus? I tend to dislike fics that do that. And I'm happy to hear you're enjoying the fic so far! I tried ti make things less juvenile and more adult between them, glad ya think I succeeded.

Jimmy1201: at this point, no link to the recipe... But I may post it on my Author's Page sometime. Advti Rufus and Ron, well, life happens, and sometimes even a best bud can have another person they hold at an equal level of love. Yes, Mo's gonna be a majot character, and I'm having fun with her! As to the Meatloaf song... Yeah, two outta three (love and need) might not be enough... But time will tell, and as the title of the fic says, time marches on.

And now, on with the fic!

_**Chapter 02**_

_**Too short to cry, long enough to try... Pt II**_

**RGKM-RGKM-RGKM-RGKM**

"Annie, can you get the phone?" James Possible called out from the rear deck, his voice carrying easily through the open patio door. The request - not to mention the metronome steady motion involved with cleaning a grill - drew a long suffering chuckle from his wife of twenty three years, Anne Marie Possible. She reached from the sink where she was washing a mix of Swiss chard, romaine lettuce and finely sliced red cabbage to grab the phone. While not a particularly long distance, it took a good deal of balance to perform that particular feat, and she knew that James was staring at her still lithe, athletic body as she did so.

_Forty three years old and I've _still_ got it!_ She crowed internally, winking at her husband as she picked up the wireless handset and pulled herself back. Setting the device next to the sink, she activated the speaker capability and answered, having seen her daughter's number on the caller ID, "Good morning, Kimmie, how're you?"

"Hey, Mom..." Kim's voice immediately struck Anne as troubled, and she sighed quietly.

"This is going to be one of _those_ conversations, isn't it?" Anne asked, already walking towards the patio door as her daughter spluttered in an attempt to hide whatever embarrassment her mother's comment had drawn. Poking her head outside, she murmured softly, "Jimmie, it's Kimmie-cub, she sounds troubled, so..."

"I'll make sure to knock before coming in if I get too warm, honey." James smiled at her, knowing she would be on his case if he spent too much time under the sun without proper hydration.

"Thanks." Anne murmured, sliding the glass door closed and walking back to the sink, "Okay, Kimmie, it's just us two, so what's going on?"

"The Tweebs aren't home?" Kim asked with untoward caution, which troubled Anne. That meant it was another heavy conversation, something she hadn't had with her daughter for a little over a year.

"They're out at the lake..." Anne answered with a chuckle, "'Fishing' with their, er... Girlfriends..."

"If they bring any fish back, I'll be shocked." Kim grumbled. Anne merely chuckled, waiting on her daughter, knowing the silence would drive her to talking soon enough. Her presumption was borne out less than a half minute later when, with a sigh, and the sound of Monique tittering something unintelligible in the background, she blurted, "Mom, before a few months ago, did Ron and I seem to be drifting apart as more than friends?"

"Oh, honey..." Anne sighed, having expected this almost six months earlier. Then things had changed just after New Years, and every time they'd seen them, they'd seemed like they'd been back in high school. Nonetheless... "What happened?"

"I... It's kind of a long story, Mom..." Kim sighed.

"Well," Anne murmured supportively, hearing something from the porch. She saw James alternately shaking his hand and sucking on his right index finger and shook her head, before turning her attention to the phone. "We've got time, Kimmie, I'm just making a salad for the barbeque we're having later today."

"Oh." Kim sighed again, and Anne could easily picture her daughter chewing nervously on her lip. After another short delay, Kim finally spoke, her voice sounding so heavy with emotion that made Anne's heart clench, "Well... About six months ago..." Kim paused for a moment, before finally beginning to explain. She left nothing out, which actually surprised Anne a bit, and included the fact that Shego had gone after Ron, and that Ron had been called back home by his parents. Monique had butted in to explain just how they'd done it, which had Anne fuming at her old friends, and Kim positively livid at them. She even included the argument she'd had with Ron not ten minutes earlier, and Anne only had to interrupt her a few times for clarity. Finally, another silence descended, before the younger red-head finally asked, "Mom, what... What should I do?"

"What do you want to do, Kimmie?" Anne asked softly, her voice full of compassion and worry for her only daughter.

"I don't know, Mom..." Kim half whined, "I... I don't want to just... Break up." She grumbled, and Anne heard a grumble in the background from Monique, "I mean, we've been together for over six years! I don't want to hurt him... And just _thinking_ about it hurts _so_ much..."

"What hurts so much about it, Kimmie?" Anne prodded after a moment of silence, "The thought of a six year relationship ending, that you're might end up being _just_ friends after that long? That you've been stringing Ron along-..." Kim started to interrupt, but Anne pressed on by raising her voice slightly, her voice a little more stern, "However _unintentionally_ you _might_ have been doing it! Or that you've been hiding what _you_ want for so long, possibly without knowing what you've wanted all along?"

"I..." Kim faltered, her voice foggy with tears Anne knew her daughter was shedding at that moment, "Mom... I... I don't know if..."

"Kimmie-cub..." James murmured softly, startling Anne enough to jump, and Kim enough to drop her Kimmunicator, if the sounds were any indication. "James! What did I say about being so damn quiet?"

"Sorry, honey..." James murmured, sliding his arms around her and kissing her neck softly. A moment later they heard Kim mutter about the Kimmunicator dropping, and James continued, "And sorry, Kimmie-cub, but when I saw how worried your mother looked, I had to come listen in. Well, and get a band-aid after getting a grill bristle stuck in the tip." Kim and Anne both chuckled softly, "Besides, I worry a beautiful young woman even if she has grown into a wilful young woman..."

"Daddy..." Kim moaned in protest, "How much did-..."

"Everything from it being a long story..." James gave Anne a stifling look when she prepared to speak, "And yes, I knocked, Annie!" Anne nodded, accepting his word easily. Her husband sighed a short moment later, "But... I'm sorry, Kim, it sounds like you kind of stepped into it this time." Kim made a strangled sound and his wife gave him another stifling look, which he couldn't help but grin in response to, "Kim, Ronald's being very mature about this, and it sounds like you overreacted. Quite severely, to boot."

"Maybe." Kim hedged, and Anne could just picture her ducking her head and shifting her eyes a bit to the left.

"No maybe about it, young lady." James said in a stern, fatherly, yet loving and understanding tone, "Kimmie-cub... We love you, and Ronald... And while we've hoped you'd marry him ever since you two got together, we understand that, sometimes, life forgets to take that well known left turn at Albuquerque..." Despite herself, Anne felt a giggle well up at the use of that old cartoon rabbit's excuse for ending up in different places. She relaxed slightly as she heard a watery, but honest giggle from their daughter, as well.

James smiled, clearly happy he'd lightened the mood slightly, before moving on, "You know about my own high school and early college... Experimentation."

"Yeah..." Kim's voice was grumbling and embarrassed, "It's still hard to believe you and... And..."

"We understand, sweetie..." Anne said, gazing up at James' face, obviously curious as to what he was planning on saying.

"You said that Ron was offering to have you two take a break?" Kim grunted in assent, and James nodded with a smile, "Well, then, perhaps you should talk to him in a serious manner about it." James said softly, interrupting the grumbling start Anne knew was going to be her little Kimmie going on a rant, "_Without_ your temper, young lady. And if you _do_ take break, you and Ron had _both_ best understand that it could end - or even _expand_ - your existing relationship if either of you find someone else."

"I..." Kim started, the blush she likely sported audible when she spoke, "Expand? Eww, no, I'm not..."

"Greedy?" Anne tittered into Kim's sudden silence, unable to do more than agree with Monique's blunt comment, "Possessive?"

"Mo!" Kim's somewhat quieter voice called out plaintively, "Gimme the Kimmunicator!"

"Hey, Dr.'s P!" the dark skinned beauty's voice rang out brightly as she used Ron's nickname for them, the sounds of her and Kim struggling over the phone clearly audible, "Just so you know, Elaina's likely crashed out over at Ron's."

The sounds of the struggle ended with a loud series of thumps, and Kim growling protest, "Leggo, Long Legs, no fair using pro wrestling moves!"

"Anyway," Monique went on as if Kim had said nothing, drawing a guffaw from James and a delighted peal of laughter from Anne, "I was going to have Miss-Relationship-Challenged here call Ron as soon as she was done with you, d'ya think I should have her wait?"

"How about this:" Anne suggested with a smile, glancing up at James, "If you're free, you and Monique fly the Sloth back to Middleton, and James will invite Ron and Shego over for the cookout tonight, and you can all get together and talk about it beforehand?"

"That's a great idea!" James smiled down Anne with a blindingly happy smile, "And it will give me a chance to assure Ron that everything's alright from my and Anne's end."

"Oooo, good call!" Monique said with a positively evil lilt to her voice.

"Not real-..." Kim started, only to squawk after a loud smack that was clearly audible over the phone, "Ow, Mo! I don't even like Ron swatting my as-..."

"We'll be there in a couple hours," Monique assured them, Kim gasping in relief as she let off of whatever hold she had thrown on the red-head, "Do you want us to bring anything?"

"How 'bout your cole slaw?" Kim suggested snarkily, making Monique and her parents chuckle.

"Oh, and _you_, GF, can help me on that one!" Monique cooed in a rather mockingly teasing fashion, "We'll see you in a few hours, guys."

"Gimme that!" Kim snapped, the sound of the phone being grabbed forcefully making Anne and James wince slightly, "Sorry, Mom, Dad... Um... You sure I should wait to talk to him?"

"Kimmie-cub," James said, Anne seeing his smirk that made it obvious he was intentionally teasing his daughter. Her steamy growl was eloquent enough, and made her husband nod as if he'd expected that reaction, "Sorry, _Kimmie_... You're obviously still angry at the situation. I'm sure Ronald is similarly angry, and with his parents pulling _that_ on him, it probably explains most of your argument with him earlier."

Kim sighed, grumbling under her breath for a moment, before sighing, "Okay, thanks, Mom, Dad... We'll be there... Probably closer to noon, since we have to go out to get a few things for Mo's coleslaw. Love you guys, see you around then."

"Bye, Kimmie." Anne and James said as one, before Anne turned and laid an intense kiss on her husband, "I'm _very_ proud of you, dear..."

"Thank you." James smirked and leaned down to give her a less enthusiastic, but just as loving kiss, before frowning slightly, "I can understand where she's coming from, but at the same time... Honestly, my respect for Ronald just went up, and I honestly didn't think it _could_ get any higher."

"He's growing up," Anne agreed, leaning into her husband's chest and nuzzling him slightly, "They all are... Even our boys." She snickered, wincing slightly as part of their conversation with Kim struck her, "Even your Drewbie..."

"Hey, now..." James started, his face turning dusky as he flushed in embarrassment.

"_Oh_, no," Anne smirked, leaning up to kiss him on the nose even as she unbuttoned the top two buttons of his polo shirt, "Don't you, 'Hey now...' _me_, Mr. Doctor Possible! I know you _all_ too well! And since he was pardoned, and started working at the hospital in diagnostics, I've come to know _him_..." Anne's voice dropped slightly, all but cooing as she continued, "_That's_ why I invited Drew over today, because _both_ of you have some talking to do."

"Annie..." James started, but was silenced by his shirt being tugged up and left to hang over his head.

"James, let me finish." Anne's tone brooked no arguments, and she smirked with devilish intent as he pulled his shirt over his head, only to see the bra clad expanse of her shapely, toned back in front of him. "Do my bra?" she asked with a wink, before continuing, "I love you, and I'm _not_ letting you go. Ever. _But_..." She turned and let the bra slide down slightly, not uncovering herself, yet leaving a more than tantalizing view of exposed flesh, "Drew's not a bad person anymore... And except for his attempt at a relationship with Elaina, and some... Ill advised attempts to use his not exactly existing charm on one of Kimmie's villains to get their help, he's remained single since you and I started dating. And since the last time we met with the old MISTcreants, I started thinking that you two should reconnect."

"Annie..." James murmured, swallowing as she leaned close to him and planted a soft, intense kiss in the middle of his chest.

"Besides," Anne smirked up at him, "You know I like muscular men, and since he seems to be at least attracted to women now - if the looks I've seen him shooting some of our more attractive staff of _both_ sexes are any indication - I wouldn't mind... Sharing you with him, if you two get back together."

"Oh, God..." James all but protested, but without any heat, "Do you have _any_ idea what you're doing to your husband right now, Dr. Possible?"

The red-head reached down and raised an eyebrow as she pressed gently against the sizable bulge at the front of his jeans, "I think I know _exactly_ what I'm doing to my lovely husband..." Anne dropped her voice down to a low, husky whisper, "Dr. Possible..."

Anne let her bra drop and settled her hands on James' hips, leaning up to give him a searing kiss, before pulling back and grabbing his hand. She winked up at him as she led him out into the living room, a sultry chuckle escaping from her lips, "Aren't you glad the boys _and_ Kim aren't home?"

"Y-yes, dear..." James choked out distractedly, watching the oh so enticing sway of his wife's shapely, still toned backside as she walked towards the couch...

**RGKM-RGKM-RGKM-RGKM**

_She was creeping through a short hallway through the semi-dark of morning, her senses on high alert. Her target was at the end of the hall and to the left, a prize worthy of such a silent approach. She strained her hearing for the expected: guard dogs, men watching, other obvious things such as that._

_As she achieved the end of the hallway, she spied both her goal and her last obstacle. The last guardian of her prize stood with her back to the hallway, fisted hands held akimbo. Her brilliant red hair held back in a simple yet serviceable ponytail. She was very fit, with a slim but powerful build, and despite being barely five foot four, she seemed to tower over the world with her presence. Her head turned this way and that, her sharp green eyes surveying the world outside the windows she watched through critically._

Perfect!_ She barely resisted the urge to chuckle as she brushed a few stray locks of raven black hair from her own bright green eyes. Those eyes began sparkling mischievously as she gathered her legs under her to spring to the attack..._

_Only to squeal in giggling protest as a huge, muscular arm wrapped around her belly and lifted her up from the ground. The owner of that arm slipped his other hand's fingers under her armpit before she could drop it, tickling mercilessly as he teasingly queried in a deep, careworn voice, "Still not sneaky enough, Little Star!"_

_"Ahhh, Grampie, no fair tickling!" eight-and-a-half year old Elaina Litvinov giggled, kicking and flailing uselessly at the air. She looked at her mother pleadingly and cried, "Mommy, help me!"_

_"You got caught, Little Star," her mother, Bernice Litvinov, laughed, "so what are you going to do if you can't get away from a stronger opponent, hmmm?"_

_"Mommeee-aaahh! Grampie, eee-gah!" Elaina's laughter increased as her maternal grandfather, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Laughing Elk, set her down long enough to let go with his right arm... And start to tickle her other armpit as she tried to push away his left hand. Finally realizing she was well and truly caught, she cried, "Okay, okay, uncle, uncle, uncle!"_

"_Okay, okay..." Daniel chuckled, giving one last burst of tickling for good measure before stopping. As soon as the tickling stopped, Elaina turned in her grandfather's arms to regard him for a moment. His hair, despite being 'only' fifty-three, had long since lost its deep auburn color, leaving it a solid steel grey, and cut to the perfect, regulation 'high and tight' that the US Army required. In seeming contradiction to his hair he was not bent over in the least, his body bulging with muscles and very little extraneous bodyfat. His face did show off his age, but in an unexpectedly distinguished fashion. There was a mixture of laugh lines about his wide set, sharp steel gray eyes yet he also had frown lines about his mouth and deep crags of a soldier used to scowling about his high, hooked nose. His strong, angular jaw and high cheekbones combined to make him breathtakingly handsome, in a rugged, world worn manner._

"_Grampie!" Elaina cried and jumped up, her arms shooting around his neck to give him a hug. Despite being down on one knee, the straight posture of his his six foot five-and-a-half inch frame still towered over the three foot six inches of his granddaughter. "I didn't know you were back from the Army yet, Grampie!" she squealed into his ear, and he lifted her up and twirled her around, laughing as brightly as the girl was. After several twirls, he lifted her further and let her sit on his shoulder, holding her legs so she didn't fall off._

"_Oh, so you didn't see me down in the den?" he queried, cocking his left eyebrow as humor sparked openly in his eyes._

"_Nuh-uh!" Elaina admitted, leaning down to hug his head as she continued, "How long are you gonna be home?"_

"_Oh, I've got about a month's worth of leave built up." he shrugged with his other shoulder, before reaching down and picking up one of the pieces of peppered bacon his granddaughter had been going for, cocking his head in query to Bernice. She nodded with a smirk and a wink, and Daniel held the bacon up, but still out of Elaina's reach, "Here's the consolation prize, Little Star. If ya keep getting better, I might just take ya with us hunting this winter... _If_ your mom and dad are okay with it."_

"_Maybe..." Again, the two adults shared some kind of inaudible communication, and this time, Bernice looked straight into her daughter's eyes, "As long as you keep your English and science grades up!"_

"_I promise!" she agreed, and Daniel brought the bacon back into her reach, "Thank you, Grampie, Mommy!" she said, carefully balancing herself as she took the bacon and munched happily on it._

"_It's good to see you, Dad." Bernice sighed, coming over and hugging her father, her shoulders positively enfolded by her father's big arm, "We were worried you'd be deployed back to Korea if you didn't take your leave."_

"_No worries about that, Bernice!" Daniel chuckled, reaching up and ruffling his daughter's hair fondly, "And speaking of 'we', where's that egghead husband of yours?"_

"_He should be back with Gregory in a half hour or so." Bernice smirked, then sighed in concern, "Gregory's trying out for the wrestling team, since the school had to cut speech and debate this year."_

"_Why in the hell'd they do that?" Daniel asked, disdain clear in his voice, "That's a bunch of horseshi-..." He glanced at little Elaina and blushed, the color barely showing on his deeply tanned, naturally dusky skin, "Er, horse_hockey_."_

"_Thanks, Dad." Bernice chuckled sardonically, "And it's 'cause the State is threatening to cut education funding... They're trying to justify it by claiming road improvements to Fort Goers..."_

"_That money's already been allocated from the defense budget!" Daniel snapped, stamping a foot firmly into the solid floor of the kitchen, "I can't believe those stuck up sons-a-bi-..."_

"_Dad!" Bernice snapped mildly and nodding towards Elaina, who was giggling at her grandfather's antics. Bernice's smirk, however, took any possible sting from her rebuke as she added, "I know, Daddy, but that's what they're trying to do... So 'just in case', the school's cutting funding for speech and debate, drama and probably lacrosse and soccer."_

"_What's funding?" Elaina asked curiously, her eyes wide as she realized she was hearing the grown ups talk about schools and the schools sounded like they were in trouble. That was something that worried her, because she absolutely loved school, especially the 'hard' classes like math and social studies._

"_Funding, Little Star," Daniel started with a sigh, "is the money things like schools need. You understand governments and what they do, right?" The raven haired girl nodded, her wide eyes rapt with attention, "Well, the national and state governments give money to public schools so they can hire teachers, coaches, janitors, cooks and the people that do all the paperwork in the offi-sssshhhiit..."_

"_Dad?" Bernice cried, and Elaina wailed in panic as her grandfather, the toughest, strongest man she'd ever seen, suddenly folded in upon himself. She felt herself slipping forward as both of his hands shot to his chest. To keep him from falling over she jumped off, landing gracefully and spinning in place, her eyes wide in panic. Her panic wasn't helped when their dogs, a pair of Samoyed pups that were playing in the back yard, hearing both Bernice and Elaina's panicked cries and started barking and howling in worry of their own._

"_Oh, damn, th't hurts worse'n being shot..." Daniel hissed, reaching for a chair to brace himself._

"_Dad?" Bernice called again, and when he just looked at her, his face in immense pain and his color draining quickly, she gasped. "I'm calling 9-1-1!" She glanced at the chairs scooted in by the breakfast bar and looked at her daughter, "Elaina, pull one of those out for your granddad, and make sure he relaxes!"_

"_Okay, Mommy!" Elaina said, relieved to have something to do to to help her grandfather. She did just what her mom said and then took her grandfather's big hand in both of hers, "C'mon, Grampie, sit down like Mommy said."_

"_O-okay, Li'l Star..." he choked out quietly, following dutifully behind her. Taking his seat, he concentrated on taking slow, shallow breaths, as larger breaths seemed to intensify the pain. He heard his daughter, obviously distraught, half screaming into the phone about his likely condition, "I'll stay right here... Tell your mom... It's not a heart 'tack... Can't breathe... Dizzy... It's somethin' else..." When Elaina looked about to object, he pointed weakly and murmured, "Go!"_

"_Okay, Grampie..." she whimpered, and ran over to her mother, grabbing her hand. Her mother turned a suddenly angry gaze towards her, but she held the older woman's gaze, whispering urgently, "Grampie says its not a heart attack! He said he can't breathe, and he's dizzy!"_

"_Did you hea-... Okay... Our address is..." Elaina, assured that her mother had passed on her grandfather's words, turned and dashed back to him, looking up into his pale, ashen face, which was turning blue around the very edges as she watched._

"_Mommy!" she cried, "He's turnin' blue!" Her mother nodded, relaying that to the dispatcher, while Elaina reached up to grab her grandfather's right hand in both of hers, "Grampie..." When he didn't answer, she started to cry in worry. Then she remembered watching one of Greggy's shows on the TV, and it had said that, when someone was bad off like her grandfather, that a person should try to keep the other awake. So she raised her voice, which was startlingly steady despite the fear that clenched her very soul, "Grampie! Stay awake! You _haffta_ stay awake!"_

"_I'm 'wake..." he squeezed out, trying to smile, but failing as he continued to take shallow, rapid breaths. He did, however, squeeze her hand gently, and she could see he was still with them by the look in his eyes._

"_Well, stay that way!" she ordered, dropping her voice and growling at him, "You haffta stay with us!" Daniel merely gave a weak nod, but it seemed as if it were a losing battle as his eyes slipped closed and he slumped in the chair, his breath still shallow and rapid like a rabbit being chased._

"_Dad?" Bernice called softly, a deep, overriding worry clouding her features, "Dad, stay with us, the ambulance will be here in two minutes..."_

"_Oh, 'kay..." he pushed out, his left eye opening just enough to look at his daughter. Then he spoke softly, his voice so quiet Elaina had to strain to hear him, "Tell Sara... I love her..."_

"_Dad?" Bernice whispered, dropping to her knees and grabbing his free hand in hers, "No, dad, stay with us, dammit!"_

"_Grampie?" Elaina whimpered, glancing between her mother and grandfather, "Grampie?"_

**RGKM-RGKM-RGKM-RGKM**

"Grampie?" the pale woman called softly, thrashing her head from side to side, even as a hand shook her shoulder gently, "Grampie!" Elaina hollered, sitting bolt upright and staring around an unfamiliar living room in panic.

"Elaina!" Ron snapped, his voice sharp with worry as he stepped back, in case she lashed out as she sometimes did after waking from a bad dream, "Hey, you're at my place, calm down..."

"R-Ron?" she stuttered, blinking away the sleep that clouded her eyes as she stared deep into his soft hazel eyes. Rufus popped his head above Ron's shoulder, where he'd dived when the superpowered woman had suddenly snapped upright, his black eyes wide in worry, "Rufus? Wha-..."

"It's okay, Elaina..." Ron said, fixing his normal, goofy grin on his face, though the worry was still painfully obvious in his eyes, "You're okay, we're at my parents place in Middleton, 'kay?"

"Y-yeah..." Elaina sat back, crossing her arms and shivering slightly. She noticed immediately that she was wearing one of Ron's old hockey jerseys, in fact, likely the one he'd worn to sleep in, if his nicer, button collar t-shirt was any indication. The blond quickly sat next to her and raised an arm behind her, his question obvious. She nodded numbly, then sank into his arm and half buried her face in his chest, taking several long, deep breaths to center herself. "Oh, God, I haven't had that dream in forever..." she whispered, sitting up, still within the protective, caring arm of her best male friend, and glancing around again. She saw that James Possible was standing back a bit to her left, his face as careworn as she'd ever seen it.

"Do you need to talk about it?" James asked softly, his deep brown, almost black eyes shining in worry for one of the young people that had become all but legally adopted members of the Possible family.

"I..." Elaina took a deep, cleansing breath and let it out, "After I get some water in me..." The admission was something that, even two years ago, would have been a lot more difficult. But almost five years of being exposed to the family had drawn her out of her shell, at least around them; she knew they trusted her with her teammates lives, and she trusted them. James walked over to the kitchen and returned a moment later with a glass of water, both of the men waiting patiently for her. She shivered slightly as the aftereffects of her panicked dreamstate shivered through her, and finally murmured, "I... Well, I'm gonna make this short and sweet, since really, it wasn't much..."

"Uh-huh." Ron quipped, chuckling as Shego swatted his arm.

"Anyway..." Elaina smiled softly, obviously still remembering it all, "I... Dreamed about something that happened when I was eight. My granddad was Army, and had just gotten back from Germany... While he and Mom were talking about school funding, he had a pulmonary embolism."

She took another few swallows of her water, then smirked slightly, "Tough ass son of a bitch scared the living shit out of Mom and me, but refused to be wheeled into the hospital... The embolism was apparently huge, and should've killed him. Hell, should've gotten him discharged from the Army, but as you know, my family's kind of... Stubborn."

"Wow..." Ron murmured, shaking his head in awe, "And we've never noticed stubbornness. At all," he glanced over at Rufus, who was sitting in Elaina's lap, staring up at her with still worried eyes, "Right, Li'l Buddy?"

"Nuh-uh, nope-nope!" he agreed, earning a raspberry from the pale woman.

"So, yeah," she shrugged before glancing at James, cocking her head slightly, "So what brings you over, Poppa Possible?"

"Well," James chuckled a bit self consciously, scratching the back of his neck. A moment later, he shrugged and glanced between the three of them, "I came over to talk to Ronald - that's already been taken care of, Elaina - and invite you three over to the cookout tonight."

"Oh." Elaina glanced at the lightly blushing, but far more relaxed Ron, and raised an eyebrow.

"Later." he mouthed to her, and she nodded, before turning back to James.

"Who's coming over?" Elaina asked, her curiosity overriding her desire to prod for answers from Ron.

"Well, the Stoppables were invited, but..." James shrugged helplessly, giving Ron an apologetic look, "But aside from you guys, we have Kim and Monique, and they invited your friends Tara and Alex..." James looked up and began to count off on his fingers as he thought, "The Chens, Ramesh and his new girlfriend, Monique's mom and dad, Drew, your friend Alex's mother and Edward," Elaina groaned and rolled her eyes, knowing just which Edward James was referring to.

"Shut it." She half hissed at Ron and Rufus when they laughed at her groan, James chuckling but at least doing so behind a hand. Rolling her eyes, she shook her head and focused back on James, "And?"

"Well," James thought, smiling, "Wade and the twins will be there, too. Tim is bringing his new girlfriend along, he's apparently quite smitten with her-..." it was Ron's turn to snicker, but he wore a mysterious smile, one that both James and Elaina knew meant he wouldn't say a word, "And both Wade and Jim asked if they could bring someone over, and both said it was a big surprise, so..."

Elaina thought for all of three seconds before shrugging. "I'm game," she smirked a moment later and glanced between the two men, "Especially if you have Doofus here cook the steaks..."

"Here, now..." James started, frowning slightly at her.

"No offense, Pops," Elaina held up a hand defensively, "But even you admit Ron's got the magic touch with steaks..." She glanced over at the blond, her eyes narrowing slightly, "Though your grilled burgers and dogs _are_ superior to his..."

"Hey!" Ron protested while chuckling, "I can't be great at cooking _everything_!" James and Elaina both laughed, while Rufus chittered something at Ron. The blond nodded, smiling down at his buddy before looking at James, "Yeah, we'll be over. About what time?"

"Oh," he glanced at the grandfather clock along the southwest wall of the living room, which read 12:23 p.m., and nodded, "We're putting food on the grill about six, so if you _just_ want to get your own marinade for the steaks in the vacuum marinator, get there around 5."

"What time is everyone that's invited gonna be there?" Elaina asked easily.

"Well," James said in a drawn out fashion, "Kimmie and Monique should be here in about a half hour..."

"Kim and Monique're coming over that early?" Ron asked, pursing his lips a moment before smirking and shrugging, the expression obviously borrowed from Elaina, "Okay, we'll be there around one o'clock."

"Okey-dokey!" James declared, "We'll see you guys in a bit!"

"Okay." Ron agreed as James let himself out. He glanced down at Elaina as she stared down at Rufus, gently scratching at his neck, "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah..." Elaina whispered as she leaned into him, closing her eyes for a moment and sighing he lifted his hand to gently rub her neck, "Just... Every time I remember that, I remember... The comet 'n' stuff..."

When she sighed despondently, Ron pulled her closer to him in a one armed hug, asking in a soft tone, "You miss your mom and dad?"

"And my Grandmas Sara and Erin..." she sighed, snuggling into his arm and upper chest as she had a few times in the past. While still taller than the now very fit Ron, she felt incredibly safe with him in such situations; safe and loved, which had caused her no end of problems as late. She found herself biting her lower lip nervously, thankful that he couldn't see the nervousness on her face. That anxiety spiked a bit more noticeably when he gently ran his fingers through her short, boycut hairstyle, something that normally calmed her down, "I just wish... I wish Hego had grown up sooner, maybe I wouldn't have understood... Maybe..." Her thoughts began to crash together within her mind, just as her emotions did the same thing in her chest, "I dunno..."

She remained silent for a few moments, and Ron finally murmured, "At least you and your granddad reconnected, right?"

"Yeah..." She glanced up at him, forcing him to drop a hand to her shoulder. When she'd been evil, and for the first few months of being on the team, she'd never noticed such simple courtesies from him; over time, however, she'd come to realize there was so much more to him than his table manners and conspiracy theories, especially after he'd grown up following the Lorwardians. It was mostly concentrated on Kimmie at first, of course, but he'd easily spread the love to all of his friends. Especially the easy comfort such as he was giving her, at least among the group's closest female friends. She knew that her feelings were still on her sleeve, as they always were after such dreams, and forced herself to close them off as she murmured, "Thanks to you, Kim and Monique..."

"Hey," Ron said, ruffling her hair fondly with the hand still there, making her squawk indignantly, "It's what best friends're for, right?"

"Yeah, something like that.." she chuckled, shaking her head and, with reluctance she hoped didn't show, pushed herself up to her feet, "And you should _really_ try that new southwest rub you came up with on the grill..."

"I don't know..." Ron pouted comically as he let her go, "You said Mr. Dr. P.'s burgers and dogs're better than mine."

Elaina let out a delighted laugh, the humor bubbling across her being despite the heavy emotions still playing bumper cars in her chest. "Well, it's the truth!" she said, shaking her head and blowing him a raspberry.

"No need to be so blunt about it!" Ron declared with mirthful petulance, winking at her.

"Heh, speaking of..." she said as she glanced about, looking for her leathers, and the fanny pack where her prescription resided, "Could I borrow your treehouse for about ten minutes?"

"You're needing to smoke some pot?" he asked bluntly, earning a nod from the pale woman, which made him sigh worriedly, "If you have the fan on, since Hana uses that from time to time..." Ron wanted to say more, and Elaina knew that he'd figured out that her emotional state wasn't on quite as even a keel as she was trying to project. She knew didn't like it when she used her prescription; she respected his reasons, but also knew he respected her need of the anti-anxiety aspects of cannabis, as rare as the need was. He also respected her enough not to pry, at least until she was willing to talk about it, which was just one more reason she'd already fal-...

"Thanks, Ronnie." Elaina said softly, cutting the thought off viciously as she leaned down to give him a kiss on the cheek, "I'll only take a few hits, 'kay?" Ron nodded, but grimaced worriedly, earning him another kiss on the cheek, "That's all I'll need, promise."

"Okay." Ron sighed, then smiled at her ruefully, "Just as long as you're not too messed up when Kim gets here."

"Did you and Pops talk about the whole... Situation between you and Kimmie?" she asked, keeping her face away from him as she pulled out the small metal case, hoping that the mild blush from the question didn't creep around her neck.

Ron drew a hesitant breath to answer, then sighed in what Elaina presumed was supposed to be an unobtrusive manner. The reason was Rufus standing on his hind legs, his paws held clasped together over his heart, giving her his wide eyed, naked mole rat version of the puppy dog pout. She laughed aloud at his antics, shaking her head and admonishing, "Only if Ron's okay with it, Ruf!"

"Go ahead..." Ron sighed, seemingly more at ease of Rufus needing it than Elaina. Then again, Rufus used it to ease the aches and pains he sometimes felt after years of the hero lifestyle, so it was understandable, "But the same request stands for you, Rufus!"

"Okies!" Rufus cheered, clambering up Elaina's pants leg and Ron's jersey before taking a seat on her shoulder.

"Goof." Elaina sighed, then smiled at the little rodent before walking over to Ron and giving him a quick hug, "Thanks, Doofus."

"No problem, Elaina." Ron said after returning the hug. She felt his eyes on her as she walked away, and just as she opened the door leading to the back yard, he took a breath and, with some hesitance audible in his voice, replied to her earlier question, "And... James and I talked. About Kim and I, I mean..." The former thief turned back to him, raising an eyebrow questioningly, and Ron reached up to scratch the back of his neck nervously, chuckling slightly. "He wanted Kim and I to wait 'til she and Mo got here, but... I kinda decided to call and apologize for being a jerk to her when she called this morning. And we... Talked."

Elaina leaned against the door jam, folding her arms across her chest and cocking her head to the side, keeping the door propped open with her right foot, "And?"

"We're..." Ron smiled ruefully, regret plain in his gaze but, surprisingly, not the pain she'd half expected, "We're taking a break... James had some thoughts about it, about making sure we understand that, well..." He frowned slightly, then shrugged, only a mild sign of worry and hurt visible as both emotions flashed across his face, "It could lead to Kim deciding she prefers to stay with me... Or it could lead to a full break up, who knows? But one thing we promised was that, if it came to that, that we'd stay best friends, and _not_ lie, or hide it from ourselves or each other if we fell, or even _start_ to fall for someone else... And to be there for each other if it starts happening. As friends."

"I see..." Elaina said in a considering fashion, her eyes hooded from emotion as she gazed at him. After a few moments, she smirked slightly, but it was a good humored expression, not the mocking one she normally used, "Well... I'll be there as your friend, both of you, you know that. And, Ron, um... When I get done, I want to tell you something, but only if you can promise me to keep it between us?"

"Elaina..." Ron started, but she held up her hand, knowing what he was about to say.

"It's nothing bad, but, um..." She sighed and shook her head, "It's... About someone I know that's female, and interested in Kimmie for... For a real relationship, y'know?"

"Oh..." Ron said, considering her for a moment, before nodding, "Okay, I can understand that. I'm not sure, though, let me think about it, 'kay?"

"Okay." the pale woman nodded, smiling at him, "Um... I'll be back in ten or fifteen, Sport."

"Enjoy." Ron called back, just before the door closed. Elaina glanced back and laughed, shaking her head as Ron did a bit of a happy dance at getting the last word in. She let him have it, though... It was a rare occurrence, after all! With a chuckle, she walked up to the treehouse. Quickly climbing up, she looked around for the fan and, finding it, activated it.

A moment later, she dug out a professionally rolled medical joint and carefully snapped it in half, handing the slightly smaller half to Rufus. "That's all you're gettin' to me, you greedy li'l shit." She chuckled when he shrugged and smiled up at her, holding the joint ready for a light. She obliged him with a tiny flame from her thumbtip, before lighting her own and taking a deep hit, burning away half of the joint with it.

She held the toke in and glanced out the treehouse's window, spying Ron gathering a few spices from his parents' spice rack. _Cheeky move, Ronnie,_ she chuckled her hit out, almost no smoke blowing from her lips, _I _like_ it!_

She watched him as he gathered a container and poured in roughly half of the spices from each container, before walking towards his the stairs leading down to his bedroom. She sighed as he walked out of sight, and she took the last half of her joint in another 'marathon' hit. She didn't bother to hold it in the common manner or use a 'roach clip', as the heat of the cherry wouldn't affect her lips for long, even if she got a mild burn. She held in the hit until she was almost dizzy, and her second hit left no smoke to express with her exhale.

"Ruf-dude?" she asked as she saw Rufus halfway through munching on the pot, his preferred method. He looked up and cocked an eyebrow, and she sighed worriedly, "Does Ronnie... Y"know... Do the whole rebound thing?"

Rufus sat back when he saw how worried she was about the answer and thought hard on it. She waited, on figurative pins and needles, for his answer, her anxiety warring with the smooth high she was already feeling from the slightly more than half-joint. Finally, he stared up at her and smiled softly, shaking his head and saying with an emphatic tone, "Nu-uh, nope!"

"You sure?" she begged, her worry fogging her voice as she caught sight of Ron coming back into the kitchen, to mix his own spices in with the ones he'd used from his parents' spice rack.

"Uh-huh, pos'tive!" he cried, standing from his half eaten joint and moving over to pat her leg in assurance.

"Should..." she swallowed, her anxiety starting to well up, possibly with enough force to overwhelm her almost established mellow, "Should I... Wait? To ask him out, I mean?" She glanced down at her bud, her face half crumpled in on itself, "At least a li'l bit?"

"Week 'r' two, a' most!" Rufus said firmly.

She nodded at her friend, and he smiled up at her before going back to his marijuana, and she glanced back at the man in his parents' kitchen. The anxiety was beginning to encroach, making a few worried tears leak from the corners of her eyes. She bundled Ron's jersey up in her fists, bringing the bunched material up to cover her face and nose unconsciously. The deep breath she took, an attempt to center herself, filled her nostrils with his scent, overpowering even the odor of cannabis. His smell, the odor of a human having slept in his clothing, the faint, pleasant aftershave that was always worn as an undertone with the blond instead of a statement, the even fainter scent of _him_, on a basic level...

It let her feel a calm relaxation overtake her body; it bolstered the light high from the pot, and drown out the anxiety at once. She took another, deeper breath as she stared, laughing a bit as he struggled with the container's recalcitrant lid. In that instant, she knew she was beyond in trouble, since everything she'd done to try and push herself, or him, away, had failed. Granted, she hadn't been trying particularly hard, but that morning had been a chance, and she'd taken it. Only to fail miserably, thanks to the paperboy...

And, in an as late rare bout of self-honesty, Elaina admitted to herself that she was happy that she failed. Something that made no sense to the hard assed self image she'd built several years earlier, but fit with the new image she'd come to embrace in the last few years. It made her feel... Good. And, she honestly admitted to herself, it made her nervous, disjointed and lost. _I think,_ she nodded to herself, coming to a decision she'd almost done before, but had ignored in favor of a path she knew now was the wrong one, _it's time to go back home and find myself..._

Whipping her arm around, she activated her Kimmunicator's phone function and called a number she hadn't in a little over a month. After two rings, it was picked up, but before the person on the other end could speak, she spoke up, "Hey, Gramps, it's Elaina... I was wondering if you could help me out with something?"

**RGKM-RGKM-RGKM-RGKM**

"Hey, you gonna eat that?" The question startled the nearly eighteen year old Wade Load, making him jump slightly as he typed away on his portable, hard light holographic keyboard. He blinked and glanced down and to his right, where his half eaten chicken salad sat, the meat still a bit warm.

"Yeah, sorry, Babe." he murmured, shaking his head, "Let me finish typing this idea out and I'll eat up."

"You'd better, boy!" the teasing voice of his paramour said as long, slender fingers wrapped around his upper arm, "Wouldn't want this beautiful muscle to go all soft, now, would we?"

"Nope." Wade nodded in agreement, chuckling as he finished the typing and grabbed his light lunch. The muscle, and his slim profile were all thanks to Shego and Monique's actions. They'd basically forced him to go on a diet and start exercising, Monique especially on his case when she'd started her training to become a full field member of the team. By the time he was fifteen and a half, he'd become stocky and fairly musclebound, becoming positively huge by the time he was sixteen. He'd weighed almost two hundred and five pounds at five foot five, just barely looking down on Kim at the time. Not long after his sixteenth birthday, however, he'd shot up like a cornstalk, and had hit six feet within a few months... And kept going, until he was almost looking James Possible's six foot five inches in the eye!

He'd kept his muscles, but luckily, they'd lengthened, and the workouts Shego had insisted upon had helped keep himself from damaging his muscles, ligaments, tendons and even his skeletal structure. Her techniques were an odd combination of yoga and one of the five t'ai chi ch'uan forms, both of which she taught him to a surprisingly competent level before combining them. He couldn't complain about the results, though! He was lean and muscular, athletic as his friends described him. Not particularly muscular, but far from a pencil necked geek.

"You taking lessons from Ron?" Wade asked in his now deep voice, another thing that he loved about his growth and post-puberty body. Deep and sonorous, with a delightful rumble that seemed to come from his very soul, he had broken more than one heart just by having a polite conversation... At least, once he'd gotten acclimated to life outside of his bedroom. Something else Monique and Shego had helped with, of course; they'd also helped him understand people and interpersonal interaction, so he had rarely made a fool of himself. _God, I owe those two ladies so much..._

It wasn't that Kim and Ron had been unable to help. They had, but Shego and Monique had seemed to make their life's work making him healthy, social and unafraid of the outside world. And they'd succeeded, all to help a friend. He started as the lovely voice from the kitchen laughed, so different in the apartment where they secretly shared time together than out in public, but so... So... Perfect. "Nah, but you know as well as I do I've had experience the last couple years, Bear."

Wade flushed slightly at the nickname, one that the owner of that voice had given him when he was still stocky. He felt a giggle trying to well up within him, but bit it back; it sounded positively _weird_ to hear a man with his voice giggle! As his dad had once said, if you have to laugh, make sure it's chuckle or a full on belly laugh, or none at all! Turning and looking at the kitchen, he saw the thin frame of his lover - he didn't think he'd ever get used to that phrasing, but loved it - and the tight, shapely rear in a simple pair of bluejeans and felt his lust stirring slightly.

_No,_ he chuckled, staring unabashedly as the lithe, beautiful body in the kitchen stretched, _I'm _never_ going to get used to that... And I hope I never do!_

He made short work of the salad, wanting to work out with his significant other badly and work off some of the worry he was feeling. After all, their relationship was mostly secret... Only Kim and Anne Possible knew who he was dating, which worried him. Not because he planned on hurting his love, but because his love was family, and _all_ possibles protected _all other_ family... He sighed slightly as he finished his salad and stood. "Hey, Baby?" he called as he stood and dropped the plate in the dishwasher as he passed, proceeding to the spare bedroom, which was their workout room.

"Yeah?" the grunt, followed by the hollow clank of a pair of dumbells told him his lover was also worried.

"You sure you want to go with me over to the Possibles?" Wade's voice was worried, but obviously not for himself.

"Nah!" his love called, standing and walking over to him, slim arms encircling his shoulders and soft, supple lips planting themselves firmly against his as he returned the affectionate hug, "You're already a family friend, so it'll work out." Another kiss and his love turned away, smirking back at him, "Spot me on my next set?"

"You'd think we'd have gotten enough of workout at the lake with Tim an-..." Wade was interrupted by a firm fist tapping him in the gut, making his breath whoosh out of his lungs.

"Don't you start!" the giggle still sounded odd coming from the slightly older teen, and Wade was forced to bite his lips so as not to laugh himself, "You know as well as I do that you'll want an appetite worked up for the cookout!"

"Yeah, yeah..." Wade groused good-naturedly, shaking his head as he laid back on the bench to get his warmup set done, "So, dumbells for the warm up, bar for the work out?"

"You know it, Bear..." his lover murmured, leaning down to give him another kiss, before standing upright, giving Wade an almost distracting view. Wade shook his head slightly and tried to ignore the blush that he knew was visible despite his deep skin color.

_Today's going to be... Interesting._ the technical genius considered as he began to push the light weights up and down in a smooth, metronomic fashion, _I just hope it's not interesting in the Chinese fashion!_

**RGKM-RGKM-RGKM-RGKM**

"I _still_ can't believe you fly around in this thing on a regular basis!" Alex Eressos moaned as the ground slowly rose to meet the Sloth about ten miles outside of Middleton. She was lying across the Sloth's rear seat, her head in the lap of her fiancée, Tara Larsen, and looking for all the world ready to jump out and attempt to run away. She had her hands clenched in Tara's purple and black plaid, mid-thigh length pleated skirt.

The brunette glanced up the trim, bare midriff of the mostly-blonde woman, past the Rancid t-shirt that was a size larger than necessary, to the cute face and big blue eyes she loved so much. She knew that her love had worn artfully torn, floral print stockings that went well with her hiking shoes. She also felt the look went well with the centered labret ring, double left eyebrow piercing, six rings in her right ear and the five rings and an industrial in her left ear. She almost laughed as she noticed her girlfriend was swaying her body and nodding her head left and right in time with the new Pennywise album's song Revolution. She was almost mesmerized by her blonde, pink, blue and purple pigtails bouncing jauntily along with her, but the teasing smile caught her attention before that happened, "What's so funny, Bubbles?"

"Nothing," Tara giggled, running soothing fingers through her dark brown hair, "I just can't believe that you're such a wussy about takeoffs and landings in the Sloth, Lexi..."

"Hey!" Alex objected, "You know as well as I do I was in my uncle's Roth - that had all the factory recalls done on it - and it _still_ wrecked because of weak welds!"

"So you're saying," Monique half turned in her seat and craned her neck to look down at Alex, "that if it was based off of a Bimmer you'd feel perfectly safe?"

Tara and Kim both laughed outright at Monique's teasing question. Their laughter seemingly doubled when Alex let out a plaintive, "Yes!" Monique chuckled and shook her head, reaching back to fondly ruffle the former tomboy queen of Middleton High School's hair. The woman knew that Monique was staring at her, and didn't really mind. After all, they'd been together for almost a year and a half after high school! Secretly, but still... She also had Monique to thank for the changes she'd gone through, at least as far as appearance. She had grown her hair out a little bit, to about chin length. While she could still pull off something similar to her old, smooth boycut, she could more easily style it as she had earlier, into a stylishly frizzy shag. And while she'd planned on going after piercings similar to Tara's, she'd had to agree with Monique: her face wasn't really one that would look good with them.

That said, she _had_ gotten two industrials per ear, in addition to her lobe piercings, which she had guaged up to eights. Under her clothing, however, she had several. Her nipples were both pierced, the right having a cross style while the right had "just" a ring, her clitoral hood was pierced twice, as was her belly button. She'd also had a rather intricate, filigree fine tribal tattoo done on her right side. It extended down to mid bicep in a sleeve, and up to cover her entire deltoid, then down her flank to the bottom of her ribcage. It also went from about one third of the way across her back all the way around to covering about one third of her right breast. It had been a trial to get, but she loved it, and it was easily hidden beneath normal clothing.

Today, however, it was quite prominently displayed by a French blue, strapless summer dress. It was form fitting and moved easily, bit wasn't nearly as restrictive as some other dresses she'd worn. It also clashed harmoniously with Tara's more outlandish, punk inspired choice.

"I'll have you know..." Kim interjected with an unmistakable air of propriety as she patted the steering wheel, "That even on the _first_ iteration of the Sloth, the Tweebs improved its structural integrity to that of a Porsche GT3... And this is the _sixth_ generation!"

"Doesn't help!" Alex called back, biting her lip nervously as she stared out the window, seeing the peak of Mount Middleton through one of the windows.

"Well," Kim snickered, "You'd better calm down, sit up and strap in, we're landing in about thirty seconds."

"Oh, god." Alex moaned, sitting up and setting her seatbelt in place... Before covering her eyes and whimpering, "Tell me when we've landed!"

A little over thirty seconds later there was a bump, and she spread her fingers enough to peek outside. She saw that they were down, and driving at interstate speeds along I-25 South, with no vehicles within a quarter mile. Letting out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, she finally started relaxing, and reached for the soda in the cup holder. After taking several sips, she muttered, "Thank God..."

"Says the agnostic to thin air." Monique quipped, ducking forward to avoid any errant swats at the back of her head from her ex-girlfriend. Alex merely glowered, leaning to her left as Tara eased her right arm around her. "Oh, come on, it's seriously not _that_ bad..."

"I just hate Roths," Alex muttered, looking less green than she had a few moments earlier, "and taking off from the ground... And landings..."

"Which is really funny when we fly out with her mom to visit her dad in Europe..." Tara tittered, squeezing her to let her know it was all to tease her.

"Yeah, yeah..." Alex fumed for a moment, before glancing over at Kim. The red-head had seemed troubled since they'd first decided to ask Tara and Alex along to the family cookout, but the closer to Middleton they got, the more tense she became. Finally, when Monique shifting to get more comfortable caused her to jump, Alex asked, "You okay, Red?"

"Hmmm?" Kim asked, even her simple, wordless reply sounding strangely evasive.

"No, she's not." Monique declared easily, shrugging slightly, "Drama and shit."

"What happened?" Tara asked, leaning forward and slightly right to get a better look at Kim.

"It's not import-..." Kim started, when Monique let out a few grumpy sounding, intentionally disruptive, humming coughs. With a sigh and a dirty look directed at the beautiful fashionista, the red-head grudgingly admitted, "Ron and I... Are taking a break."

"What?" Alex and Tara both asked, their eyes rounding in shock. A moment later, Tara hesitantly prodded, "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Not that it matters, it's -..." Kim started, blushing a very deep red that went well below the level of her cream colored, flare sleeved blouse, but Monique's snort cut her off.

"She discovered she loved the vag more than the cock back in," Monique looked over at Kim, who was gripping the steering wheel hard enough that her knuckles were white, "What was it? February? Late January?"

"Monique!" Kim squealed in protest, dropping her head forward enough that her flippy hair fell forward and covered most of her face, "Are you going to tell the world next? Or maybe I should take an add out on Mattsregister?"

"Would it help keep you from beating around the bush with our _friends_?" Monique countered hotly.

"Mo," she turned a frustrated scowl at her best female friend, "I was _going_ to tell them, bu-..."

"But it would've taken at least another half hour." Monique interrupted, huffing at Kim's scowl being directed at her.

"No, it wouldn't have!" Kim denied, hitting s button on the dash and calling out, "Autodrive, Possible Residence, Middleton, Colorado."

"Affirmative." the advanced autodrive system Wade and the Tweebs had recently installed answered, "Arrival in five minutes."

That done, Kim turned her half-furious gaze on Monique, before snapping, "I wasn't going to take twenty minutes, Mo! I was going to explain things in _my_ way! 'Cause I don't like sounding like a rancid bitch to my _best friend_ and a man I _still_ love, goddammit!"

"Um, girls..." Alex started as she spotted a somewhat large procession of cars in Middleton Boulevard, with officer Hobble and his car blocking the exit ramp's street entrance. Unfortunately, Monique's heated voice easily drowned her out.

"And just _who_ tried to tell me that your 'break up' was stupid and that it 'didn't matter'," Monique's throwing up of air quoted almost hit Tara, who had leaned forward to tap her shoulder, in the nose. None of the other women in the car noticed the rather... Cross look that descended over her face as she glared at the dark skinned beauty, "and that it was 'something stupid'? _And_ got Elaina pissed enough to drive from Go City to Middleton in four hours over a _misunderstanding?_ Oh, wait, that was _you_!"

"Oh, _Jes_us _Christ_, Mo!" Kim raised her voice to a level just below shouting, "Ron and I already worked that out, _okay_?"

"Come _on_ guys..." Tara chimed in ad Alex pointed the potential problem coming up out, but to no avail.

"And that's why Baby-Boy _hung up_ on you the first time?" Monique countered, her voice's volume raising to meet Kim's, "Y'know, something he's never done to _my_ knowledge since you started dating him?"

"Oh, that's _far_ from the firs-..." Kim ground to a halt when Monique pushed on as if she hadn't spoken. The supercar slowing down in preparation to take the off ramp didn't even slow Monique down.

"And worse, your _dad_ was there when he called you back! All while _you_ were back at the house moping!" Monique's hand again snapped back as she pointed vaguely towards Go City, again almost hitting Tara in the face with her errant index finger. Alex was about to protest, but Tara's actions not only beat her, but shocked everyone, even the blonde's fiancée. Just as Monique was drawing a breath to continue, Tara leaned her head forward just a little bit and chopped down on the dark skinned woman's finger. Monique's reaction was as immediate as it was amusing; she let out a loud yip and looked at Tara, her tone suddenly begging, "Shit, Tara! Leggo, leggo, leggo!"

"Awe ya gomma cawlm dawn?" Tara growled, and slex found herself covering her mouth to stop a gale of laughter she felt bubbling up as Monique mutely nodded and Kim stared on in shock.

Alex found herself snickering slightly at the situation. Tara almost never lost her temper, but here she was, obviously letting her Norwegian and German ancestry out in full force... At least if the bite and the intense, angry glare she had leveled at Monique were any indication. _Tonight's gonna be _fun_!_ the brunette thought, knowing that the days her fiancée got _really_ angry led to a _lot_ of 'calm down sex'.

Tara let go, her anger still reigning over here as she snapped at her friends, "Okay, now are you two wannabe diesel dykes gonna shut up long enough to calm down and _stop_ at the end of the off-ramp? That looks like a gosh darn funeral procession, so how 'bout we lighten up, huh?"

"Okay." Kim said in a suddenly meek tone, blushing brightly at Tara's outburst, obviously realizing how it must have looked. With a sigh, she muttered, "And I'm not a wannabe diesel dyke, I'm just..."

"Yes?" Tara asked, her tone still sharp, but not snapping with her earlier anger.

"I'm not sure what I want, 'kay, T?" Kim finally sighed out, taking the wheel, which deactivated the autodrive. She applied the brakes a bit more, pulling to a stop about ten feet from officer Hobble. The Sheriff's Deputy recognized the car and gave them a somber nod.

As the big officer made his way over, Tara murmured, "So, you two gonna kiss and make up, or at least take some Midol before we get to your parents' place, Kim?"

"We're not-..." Kim and Monique cried, looking back at her with strained expressions, before turning suspicious gazes back at each other.

"Bullcrap!" Tara giggled softly, leaning forward to whisper, "Elaina was over last night, and asked Lexi if she could spare a tampon, since they use the same size and brand..." Tara sat back with a smug smirk while pulling out her purse, adding, "And since you've lived together long enough, you've all synced up your periods..."

"Y'know," Alex chuckled as Officer Hobble got to the front fender, "I almost feel sorry for Ron!"

"What_ever_!" Kim called out, smiling despite herself at her friends, before rolling her window down to talk to the big Sheriff's Deputy, "Hey, Officer Hobble, what's the sitch?"

**Author's Notes**

Author's notes'll be a bit short this time around. Lots happened in this chapter, though! Kim calling and talking to Anne, and James surprising them with his mature thoughts on the subject. James talking to Ron without threatening black holes, and in fact, feeling more respect for the young man for his honesty and integrity. Shego having a memory dream of her own past, only to wake up to confused feelings about her present. But it seems she knows what she wants, and what she might have to do to get it.

Poor Alex, she's apparently scared of the beginnings and endings of flights, and she's had some changes in life... As, apparently, has Tara! And then there's Kim and Monique. Tempers flare easier than normal thanks to everyone's 'favorite' aunt, Aunt Flo... Can you imagine what would've happened had Shego been there with them? Luckily, Tara calmed things down before they got _too_ heated... But why's Officer Hobble blocking the offramp? Hope it's nothing too bad...

And that's that for Chapter 2! Remember, everyone: there's lots of fics out there so keep up the reading, and if ya like a fic, have some advice or etc., give the author a review!


	3. Too short to cry, long enough to try Pt3

**Author's Notes**

Okay, long chapter, but it just kept coming and coming... It's finished, at least, so here ya go! Still goin' through some 'slice-of-life' stuff but also solidifying some other things, as well, for the future. I guess, with the way this is turning out, I should give everyone reading it some fair warning: hile it's not a complete 'slice-of-life' fic, there's going to be a bit of it, more than in most KP fiction... But some of the adventure's coming up next chapter, so overall, I hope you all enjoy it! Now, the review replies.

Jimmy1201: yup, a definite tangle of relationships, 'specially with the potential trio. With Mr. Dr. P., I've always been of the opinion that, when he finally recognizes his daughter as a young woman, he'd be a lot less overprotective. I personally think that in Season 4, the writers missed a lot of potential for character growth, so I try and show it in my writing. And while Anne's normally the advice giver, I like to think that James is just as capable... If still a bit flaky about some things.

studyofchaos: thanks for the kind words! I prefer character driven fiction, as both a reader and a writer, so I guess that's coming through. As far as Ron goes, well... In my opinion, there's been a lot of character bashing of him since KP fanfiction started, some unintentional, some more than intentional. I dislike it, but, well... What can you do, other than showing an alternative? Ron is Ron, and making him a caricature is an insult to a good character. Look at Season 4 Ron to see my point, even the show's writers were guilty of it!

DragonLord19D: a lot of people don't like RonGo unless it's well written, including your's truly! I just hope that I can present it in a well written manner for everyone!

_**Chapter 03**_

_******Too short to cry, long enough to try... Pt III**_

**RGKM-RGKM-RGKM-RGKM**

"Good afternoon, Anne." Drew Lipsky smiled at the beautiful red-head, marveling once again at the ageless quality of her features. Aside from the laugh lines around her mouth and the corners of her eyes - and no more than any mid-twentysomething would bear - her skin was flawless. And a lot of that skin was on display, as she wore a black pair of what he assumed was James' swimming shorts over a blue, one piece swimsuit. The suit had oval, window style cuts in its side, an hourglass shaped cutout that was connected smack in the middle of her breasts, and a large cutout exposing most of her back. Her body was flawless as well, still trim and firm, her full breasts, despite having three children, still as bouncy and youthful in their sway as her rear end she walked.

"Drew, how are you?" she asked with a smile, before calling over her shoulder in much the way he remembered her doing when they were mere passing acquaintances, her being the roommate to the old gang's de facto leader, "Hey, everyone, Drew's here!" There was a chorus of replies, and she stepped back, opening the door wider for him to enter, "Come in! Eddie and Betty are on the back porch, and James is in the kitchen."

"Ah, so the old gang's all going to be here?" Drew asked in a tone that would have surprised anyone that remembered his time as a supervillain... Or known him when he attended the Middleton Institute of Science and Technology. Then he noticed that Anne was staring at him, and he wondered if it was how he was dressed. He wore a pair of loose, comfortable looking, tan board shorts, a loose fitting, half-buttoned green and olive striped dress shirt, a tan bucket hat and brown, slip on loafers. Not the most flattering combination, though he did know it showed off his chest and legs to good effect. _Perhaps that's what she's looking at?_ he wondered for a moment, before Anne's following comment brought him back down to earth.

"Yes, the MISTcreants are going to be here in force," Anne chuckled, "including the new generation, since both Jim and Tim will be joining us today."

"That's, oh, how does Stoppable say it?" He thought for a moment as he stepped inside, before snapping his fingers, "Ah-booyah!" Anne gave a slight smile as he drew his fingers into a fist, flipped the hand over and brought it to his waist while lifting the same leg to waist height to physically match his exclamation. He then relaxed and entered the house, waiting for her to lead on after closing the door. He knew he was positively _glowing_, and didn't seem to care that he was basically prancing towards the kitchen in his delight. Ever since being bathed in the super high pollinator, he'd been... Calming down, in many ways. His mania had quickly fled him after the Lorwardian Invasion Event, though he was still glad he'd taken Shego's advice and sought professional counseling.

That had been beyond eye opening, showing him just how... Poorly he'd reacted, how wrong-headed his later choices had been. Of course, it really shouldn't have been much of a surprise that he'd broken back in MIST; he'd been raised by an overprotective, neurotic, meddlesome single mother, and had been struggling with his own sexuality on top of everything else. His genius had taken him through high school, and he'd graduated at the relatively tender age of sixteen, subsequently being thrust into the meat grinder that was college life... A life he'd lacked the tools to properly deal with. After describing his life at MIST, his doctor had concluded that he'd developed a mental illness that could easily have been misdiagnosed as Asperger's Syndrome. Thankfully, his doctor was good. Very, _very_ good.

_Too bad he hadn't been around after my accident..._ Drew pondered, and not for the first time. Unfortunately, his... Accident when he'd attempted to increase his intellect with some chemicals one of the labs had created had worsened his mental condition, and hadn't expanded his mind so much as increased its efficiency. With his mind's increased efficiency, it was harder to distract himself from the more negative aspects of his mental illness; his feelings of inadequacy, his need to overcompensate, had been solidly locked into place. This had taken his latent tendency towards overreaction and lashing out into a megalomaniacal bent, turning him into the mad scientist Dr. Drakken.

Granted, he'd finally started to take responsibility for his own mistakes shortly before the invasion, and he'd started taking steps to repair the damage his life had suffered back then, but they hadn't been enough. At least he'd finally started to move on; not before ruining the budding relationship with Shego, but that was life, as it were. And she'd still stayed his friend, and had helped him acclimate to 'real life' outside of his delusions. So had Miss McCoy, in fact, and they'd sometimes worked with both he and Wade, with the help of his and Wade's counselors, to do so.

Luckily, he'd discovered what had happened to lessen, and eventually helped them all eliminate his... Psychosis, for lack of a better term. And thankfully he'd discovered it before removing it from his body! It had been his 'plant power', for lack of a better term, granted him by the Super High Pollinator. His plant based tendril, which he'd named Emilia - she really liked the name, which pleased both of them immensely - slid up from his shirt to gently wrap about his neck like a loose choker necklace, sprouting a tulip on the end. He could feel the concern radiating from the essentially sentient plant into his mind, drawing a smile from him. He reached up absently to stroke her just below the tulip, much like he would Commodore Puddles' neck when he was worried, and enjoyed the shared reassurance the action engendered. "Something bothering you, Drew?" Anne asked, shaking him from his reverie. Despite his efficient thought processes, he was honestly surprised that all of his thoughts had only taken the amount of time it had to walk halfway to the kitchen through the Possible's den.

"Oh, no, Anne." Drew smiled at her, flushing slightly as she had turned and leaned forward slightly. He resisted the urge to do more than glance down, her bosom clearly shoved forward by her position, though he did catch a very... Enticing view, nonetheless. _There is definitely something more to bisexuality than I thought back in MIST__..._ he sighed internally, before speaking aloud, "Just... Reminiscing about my less than stellar past."

"Oh..." Anne almost pouted in her obvious concern, then smiled, standing and reaching out to pat his cheek in a friendly manner, "Well, if you'll pardon the potential pun, that's all in the past; at least as far as I or anyone else can tell."

"Oh, indeedy it is!" he declared, unconsciously taking an old pose he'd used as a mad scientist, a hand held at head height, a finger held aloft and pointing straight upwards, "In fact, I'm feeling _far_ better than I ever have in the past! I'm hale, relatively healthy physically, and my mental health has improved by leaps and bounds!"

"That's good to hear!" Anne tittered softly, the sound smokey and innocent as one. And quite... Distracting. Pleasantly so, and Drew was quite happy to admit it, at least to himself. "We'd like to keep you around at the hospital for some time... Your skill and reading scans is, according to Wade, even better than his, so you've been quite a boon to us..."

"Speaking of which," Drew murmured, the mention of his unexpected... Increase in interests from just structural and electrical engineering to include the medical field still setting a fire in his brain from time to time, "I had an idea that might help with some of the more difficult to diagnose cases, especially neurological."

"Oh?" Anne said, not realizing by his tone that he was again preparing for a rant, this one easily more reminiscent of his old days. Drew himself knew what was coming, and was still annoyed somewhat by the fact that it still happened. When he'd been a mad scientist, as opposed to a 'regular' one, he'd never noticed, nor cared, that he ranted. He knew now just how annoying it could be, considering some of the administrative types at the Middleton Memorial Medical Center. And he winced slightly when Anne prodded him gently with a finger to the belly, "And what's that?"

"Oh, well..." he started, only to shake his head softly, "I'll get into more detail later, but it involves some of the work I'm doing with Kimberly's tech guru, Wade Load. You see, his scans - not to mention those of more 'mundane' scanning technologies, as effective as they are - are still quite gross in scope, even on 'tight' settings. To get more information, the need for power is quite daunting, and could be quite harmful to the patients, both those in the scanner and outside in the case of Magnetic Resonance Imaging." Anne nodded, understanding exactly what he meant. They had recently had a patient with incomplete medical records due to his military career, and it wasn't known until it was nearly too late that he had a metal plate in his head, due to receiving it after a top secret mission, while still on a top secret base.

"Well, working with some of the new nanotech he's developed with those three alien scientists working with James and Vivian?" Anne nodded again, and Drew's eyes widened a bit. Not in the old, half-insane gleam of a mad scientist, but in the sure, excited manner of a scientist on the verge of a breakthrough, "Well, I was speaking to Wade during a break the other day, and we decided to apply some of Wade's scanning tech to a test batch of the nanos, with no real optimization, just to see what would happen. It turns out, when we tested them on the Kepler VII's new fusion power plant's containment bottle, that using the nano-scale scanners with thousands upon thousands of nanobots allowed a more thorough scan than most human tech!"

Anne, fully in the thrall of implications of Drew's rant, sat down, her eyes gaining some of the excitement the slightly older scientist's eyes had. Neither of them noticed James smiling at them as he leaned against the divider wall between the kitchen and living room, "Granted, the alien scan tech is far beyond our own, but they also suffer the same limits to the body as we do! The Lorwardians use some medical nanotech, but didn't think to add scanning, since most Lorwardians self-repair the kind of damage we humans would find debilitating... And the other races weren't nearly as experienced with nanotech as the Lorwardians!"

"Have you and Wade worked up any models for their use in a body?" Anne prodded, her mind beginning to churn with the possibilities.

"As a matter of fact, Wade and the Eeummee, Vay'reeaynnn, are performing some virtual tests now..." Drew said slowly, drawing it out as he thought on it, "I gave a few suggestions, with the knowledge I have of cybertronics, as has James..." He paused, suddenly counting and frowning slightly, "In fact, by about this time tomorrow, the fifty-third virtual trial should be finished..."

"Wow," a sardonic, all too familiar voice chuckled from the doorway, "Even sane you rant, Drew!"

"Shego!" Drew half-squealed while jumping halfway to his feet, turning towards the door and pointing in an exaggeratedly accusatory fashion, "Why must you always sneak up on people?" His question, as rhetorical as it was considering they'd walked in through the front door, nonetheless drew a delighted laugh from Anne and a broad smile from Shego, which made Drew smile slightly despite his seeming annoyance, "And you, young... Er..." He stood straight and suddenly brought his thumb and forefinger up to stroke his chin. His face briefly screwed up into a frown, before he shook and snapped his fingers, "Stoppable! Yes, I remembered!"

"That's five times this year, Dr. D!" Ron laughed and shook his head, "Keep it up and you might get through the whole year without forgetting!"

"Uh-huh! Uh-huh!" Rufus agreed, a lazy smirk on his face to go with the lazily happy gaze he leveled at Drew.

"Now, see here, you _weasel_!" Drew huffed in obviously feigned indignation, putting suddenly fisted hands akimbo, "I'll have you know I was running on three hours of sleep in the prior fifty-seven while we worked out the feed issues with the new fusion material injector the last time I forgot!" Rufus spat a raspberry at him, before falling off of Ron's shoulder and into his waiting hand from laughter when Drew returned the expression. Finally succombing to his own laughter, Drew's face once again broke into an expression of giddiness as he drew his tiny hands to his chest and clasped them together, "How are you three doing? And are you getting enough sleep, Shego? You look tired..."

"We're doing good, considering the day we've had, Drew..." Shego's face fell into a more natural looking smile from her sardonic smirk as she walked up to him, throwing her arms around his shoulders in a big hug, "And I'm not tired, just a little relaxed, if you know what I mean?"

"Ah." Drew nodded sagely, knowing of her prescription. Placing gentle hands on her shoulders as Emilia popped up to regard the pale woman, her flower's petals drooping in what could only be considered concern, "Are you sure you'r-..."

"Fine, fine..." Shego said, patting his hands reassuringly and taking them into her hands as she stepped back, "Trust me, it was just a disagreement between the Doofus and I. My fault, mostly..."

"KP had quite a bit to do with that one, Elaina..." Ron interjected, earning a half-hearted scowl from Shego, "But it's mostly cleared up now, so it's fine."

"Yeah, listen to Ronnie." Shego said, something in the way she'd said it tapping lightly at the back of Drew's brain, "It's all good." She turned from Drew and held a hand out to Anne, who had finally stood and walked over, "Afternoon, Anne. Is Kimmie here yet, or..."

"No," Anne shook her hand, before pulling the former thief into a brief hug, "But they did call when they left, saying they had a slight delay..."

"Probably Tara trying to figure out what kinda impact she wanted to make today." Ron suggested as he walked up, slugging Drew lightly on the shoulder and smiling, "Hey, Dr. D!" His voice was chirpy, despite the slight discontent the scientist had noticed a moment earlier, then the blond turned to Anne, hugging her and stepping back, "Mrs. Dr. P."

"Ronald." Anne said in a suddenly concerned tone, which made Drew feel a bit more concern overall, "Are you doing alright, really?" She turned towards the kitchen as she asked, her face matching her motherly tone.

"Not gonna lie," Ron admitted, "it's gonna hurt..." He sighed and his face fell slightly, but he smiled nonetheless, "Actually, it's already hurting, but... Well, we're gonna talk face-to-face when she gets here, but..."

"Did something happen between you and Kimberly, Ronald?" Drew asked, making Anne's concern visibly deepen, which told Drew he might not like Ron's answer.

"Yeah, sorta." Ron shrugged slightly as he sat down at the kitchen table, nodding at James, who Drew smiled at a bit more brightly than he'd intended. He didn't second guess himself, however, as he might have in the past; after all, that's one of the things that had ruined his friendship with his first love for almost two decades, "We're... Taking a break. I won't get into details, as they're Kim's to tell, but we've... Kinda drifted? And, well, if things work out with us back together, cool, if not, well... Like I said, it'll hurt, but it's better now than later, y'know?"

"I'm..." Drew said, hesitating slightly before placing a surprisingly fatherly hand on Ron's shoulder, "I'm terribly sorry to hear that, Ronald. Hopefully it works out with you staying friends, no matter what the outcome..."

"Eh, we'll _always_ be BFF's, Doc!" Ron nodded up at him while reaching up to pat the hand on his shoulder in thanks. The blond's hazel eyes seemed to search Drew's coal black eyes for a moment, before he smiled at the older man, "We don't wanna lose that, and we promised to help each other out as friends if one of us finds someone, so like Elaina said, it's all good!"

"I certainly hope so, Ronald." Drew nodded, patting his shoulder again before turning to James with a soft smile, "So, if you're here early, I presume you want to set up a marinade for your incredible steaks?"

"Does everyone believe Ron's steaks are better than mine?" James sighed with mild despondence, earning a kiss on the cheek from Anne.

"Yes, but you do make better burgers on an outside grill." Anne soothed softly, winking at the blond boy.

"Yeah, yeah..." Ron sighed, then shrugged, laughing, "Like I told Elaina earlier, I can't be great at cooking everything!"

"Well, _I'm_ going to go outside and enjoy the pool, if you don't mind?" Anne declared, glancing out at the pool in the Possible's back yard. It was divided into two, the largest section being a twenty by fifty foot, rounded rectangle, the smaller being connected by a small channel and was a rounded 'wading pool' with water jets. It also had a small table with stools so people could set refreshments or food there while in the pool. The pool had been added by the contractor that had helped rebuild the house after the Lorwardian invasion, for free at the contractor's insistence. It had apparently been, in the man's opinion, the least he could do for the Possible family.

"I'll join you in a sec..." Shego said as Anne stood and stretched. Everyone's attention was pulled to her as she stretched, before sauntering out the rear door with a decided sway in her hips. Shego was the first to shake it off, deftly slipping the oversized, maroon jersey from her body to reveal a tastefully skimpy bikini top in black and green, handing it to Ron.

"Ronald," Drew asked curiously as he stared at Shego, even as the woman began removing her shoes and socks, "If you don't mind me asking, wasn't that-..."

"Yeah, one of my old jerseys." Ron said easily, shaking his head as Shego gave them a dirty look for speaking as if she wasn't right there. Then the implication of Drew's words sunk in and he hurriedly added, "She ended up crashing over at my place after the confusion, and her shirt had popped open, tearing buttons when we had our... Disagreement."

"More like you tossed me and I almost split my head open on the sidewalk." Shego groused, drawing a chuckle from everyone present.

"Oh." was all Drew said as he glanced at James, who was stifling a chuckle, "Don't be mean, James..."

"I wasn't planning on it." James said, then looked over at Ron, "Ron, relax, I understand."

"Sorry, Mr. Dr. P.," Ron sighed, chuckling nervously, "Just... This whole thing's kinda screwy, y'know?"

"I'm sure." James said a bit distantly, before glancing at Shego, "Are you alright, Elaina?"

"Yeah," she chuckled, slipping her pants off to reveal a matching, if opposite colored bikini bottom, "nothing we haven't done to each other in the past."

"As long as you're _both_ okay." James said, earning nods from Ron and Shego. After pondering something for a moment, he swept his gaze to include his old friend and the man who had nearly become his son-in-law, "Would you three be interested in sharing a few shots of a fifty-year aged Scotch? Since we all three seem to need some time to relax..."

"Sure!" Ron piped up, a big grin on his face.

"I'll pass for now," Shego said, "but maybe after dinner if the offer's still good?"

"Of course." James nodded, then glanced back at Ron as the blond spoke up.

"Then I'm going to hit the pool." she declared airily, waving a hand negligently at them.

"Have fun, Elaina!" Ron said, watching her walk outside before turning to her left, where two people with very familiar faces sat cuddled together on a lawn chair. He turned his attention back, not seeing the blonde woman that Drew saw walking, or more accurately stalking, up to Shego. "What brand of Scotch is it, Mr. Dr. P.?" The blond's eagerness made James chuckle fondly and brought Drew's attention back to him.

"Glen Killigan's Rolling Greens Single Malt." James smiled at them, obviously happy about possessing the rare liquor.

"Now _that_ is something that still amazes me!" Ron declared as James walked over to the corner liquor hutch, pausing briefly to raise a questioning eyebrow at Ron, "That one of KP and my old enemies retired to take over his family's Scotch distillery."

"I see..." James said, grabbing the bottle, a decanter and three glasses and ambling back over to the table. He set the glasses and Scotch down, before filling the decanter with a little water from the sink. When he returned, he poured a little water in each glass, followed by a healthy shot of the Scotch. They all picked up their glasses as one, and James said, "To friends, past mistakes that helped us grow, and the hope that our mistakes will be lesser as we grow older!"

"Here, here!" Drew and Ron agreed, raising their glasses to clink with James', before downing the shot as one. Drew winced the most, but Ron was the only one to need a couple breaths before setting his glass down.

"Wow, that's stout!" Ron let out a long breath, then smiled, "But it's _real_ tasty, despite the kick!"

"That it is." Drew agreed as James repeated the seeming ceremony of pouring a small splash of water before the liquor. Drew cocked his head to the side slightly and asked, "What's the water for, James?"

"It brings out more of the flavor and aroma of the Scotch." James said with a smile as he began to pour Ron another shot... And almost dropped the bottle when a loud squeal echoed from the rear deck and near the pool. Glancing out, the three men and Rufus saw Shego in a huge hug with a very attractive, blue-eyed blonde woman who had a beauty mark over her left upper lip.

Ron gazed at the site for a moment, a scene of bouncing and tastefully jiggling flesh, and shook his head, "I didn't know Elaina knew Dr. Porter."

"Neither did I." James said, turning back to the other two men, smiling at them, "So, one more drink, and Ronald can start on his marinade, while you and I go to the study for a discussion Anne insists on us having, Drew?"

"Sounds like a plan." the blue scientist and Ron said as one, before glancing suspiciously at each other. A moment of blinking later, both were chuckling and shaking their heads, while James lifted his glass to take a slower, savoring sip of the Scotch. Drew and Ronald mimicked the expression. Like life, Scotch of this calibre was something to be savored!

**RGKM-RGKM-RGKM-RGKM**

"G'mornin', Miss Poss'ble." he murmured, his tone as somber as his Irish accent was thick, "Sorry 'bout tha delay, boot tha pracession's fer ol' Missus McMillan, she passed on tha day b'fore yesterday."

"Oh, no..." Kim, Tara and Alex all said at once, having had her as their second grade teacher. Even Monique was suddenly somber, knowing of the old teacher and how much she'd meant to so many people that had gone through the Middleton Municipal School System.

"Unfort'n'tely." the big man intoned, then smiled softly, "She passed in 'er sleep no' two days agoo, boot 'twas appar'tly peaceful. I kin remember bein' one o' 'er students, an' I'm shore ye do 's well."

"I do, I _so_ do..." Kim half moaned, a few tears sparkling in her eyes.

Tara and Alex both had their hands over their mouths, tears freely flowing down the blonde's cheeks. "At least it was peaceful." Alex whispered.

"Aye." Officer Hobble nodded firmly, then glanced back at the procession. They'd seen the end, and while it hadn't been as long as Alex would have expected for a woman as well loved as Mrs. McMillan, it was still sizable. She had been confused for a moment, before the reason struck her.

"Only family?" Alex asked, and the officer nodded.

"Aye, Miss Eressos," he chuckled lightly, "Missus McMillan 'erself said no' long ago that if she let anyone oother 'n family show oop, her pracession'd stretch 'alfway t' Denvar!"

All three of Mrs. McMillan's former students nodded in agreement, while Monique sighed, "I wish I could've had her as a teacher. I mean, I met her when she was doing the teaching thing for career day at the high school and she was awesome, but..."

"It's no' the same, I know." the big officer was about to speak again when a gruff, deep feminine voice called out from his radio repeater's shoulder speaker.

"The end of the procession is approaching, Officer Hobble." the woman declared, "Shall I pull in behind them first, or await your movement?"

"Och, go ahead 'n' pull in behoind 'em, Officer Hedbustr, I'll pall in behoid yir car when ye all pass." Officer Hobble waited for acknowledgement, then nodded in a pleased manner.

"How's she holding up?" Kim asked when she saw the exchange had finished, "Is the interspecies relations work-trade program working out well in that respect?"

"Quite well, I should say!" Hobble laughed, "It was a bit rough when she was farst assigned t' oos, but she's come aloong noicely. Then again, all o' her family fer generations was essent'ly police an' peacekeepers fer the Lorwardian Empoire, if ye here her tell it." He scratched his chin and nodded, "In point o' fact, she took t' tha retrainin' fer less aggressive police work well, too!"

"Good to hear." Tara said with pursed lips, "I've heard that many of their war oriented caste are causing problems on the diplomatic front, though..."

"Och, well, tha's somethin' that she's assured oos will be resolved soon enoof." Officer Hobble declared, before he glanced back to see the huge Lorwardian's police vehicle - an HMHVV with a lowered seat to hold her nine foot four inches of height - just coming into view behind the procession. He nodded at Officer Peaceholder, then turned back and tipped his hat to the ladies, "An' there's tha end o' the pracession. 'Ave a good day, ladies, 'n' drive safe."

"You too, Officer Hobble!" Kim called back, sighing in mild despondence as the last of the vehicles past, and Officer Hobble pulled in behind them.

"I thought he was Irish?" Alex asked with a touch of confusion in her voice.

"Oh he is," Kim said with a strange grin, "But his wife is Scottish and they spent a year visiting her dad back in Scotland and he managed to finagle a 'Trans-Atlantic cross-training program' so he could spend the whole year there. He apparently picked up his father-in-law's accent... _And_ his love of golf!"

Tara paused in digging through her purse to stare at Kim and Monique, who had broken out into slightly unhinged giggles at Kim's comment, "Okay, this _must_ be good; who's his father-in-law?"

"One of my old Rogue's gallery of villains, Duff Killigan!" Kim snorted, then her smile softened a bit, "Kira Killigan is an absolutely _beautiful_ woman, it's amazing she came from Duff... She actually helped us get Duff off of the villains lists when Officer Hobble said he wanted to ask her dad for her hand in marriage. That's why he took over the family business, actually... And when Officer Hobble showed some interest in golf, well..."

Kim was just shrugging when she was startled by Tara tapping her on the shoulder. She glanced to her right and saw the blonde had also tapped Monique's shoulder, and was staring at both of them expectantly. She turned over and opened the fist she'd used, showing two smallish, blue pills in her hand. "Take these and don't argue." Tara smirked, gazing straight into Kim's eyes, "I remember how easy you get pissy when you're cramping, and if the argument between you and Mo-Mo is any indication..."

"Yeah, yeah..." Kim sighed, grabbing the pill and popping it in her mouth. She reached out and took a swig of her soda, swallowing and glowering at the red light they were waiting on, "Thanks, T."

"Yeah, thanks, Sweetness..." Monique said, shaking her head in annoyance. Alex knew why the beautiful fashionista looked annoyed, and it had less to do with Kim than herself. The woman hated losing control of her temper, and her temper could be horrendous. Horrendous enough, in fact, that it was one of the things that had broken them up; Alex, at the time unsure if she wanted something long term, had wanted to keep their relationship secret a while longer, while Monique hadn't. The resultant argument had almost severed their unlikely friendship, let alone their relationship. But, so far, it had worked out for the best, at least for Alex.

"No problem, K, Mo-Mo!" Tara beamed, seemingly happy once again now that they weren't screaming. Alex knew better, but didn't say anything. Tara losing her temper at Monique one day after their break up had been what saved the former gossip mistress and the punk minded tomboy's friendship... And led to Alex pursuing Tara, truth be told. She _did_ like her aggressive women! Well, that and Tara's love of punk rock. Alex was just about to take a full blown journey down memory lane when Tara spoke up again, bringing her back to the present, "Anyway, who all's coming over to the cookout?"

"Well," Kim said, thinking, "I know that Ron, Sh-... _Elaina_, and Rufus are going to be there, as well as the Chens, Ramesh and his new girlfriend - they're old friends of my dad's and work with him out at the Space Center - Mo's mom and dad, Drew... Oh, apparently your mom's coming too, Alex, and bringing along _her_ new SO," Alex rolled her eyes, hoping her mother wouldn't have picked someone like the _last_ person she'd dated, "and, um... Ron's parents and Hana were invited, but they're in Japan..." Kim grumbled a few things under her breath, but continued after taking a few deep breaths, "Wade's _probably_ coming, and the Tweebs'll be there, Tim with his girlfriend, but I don't know if Jim will be bringing anyone along..."

"Tim will be there with his girlfriend _if_ he kept this gf long enough to bring home!" Monique sniggered, her face filled with devilish glee, "Hell, if _both_ of them bring someone, it'll be an MOBP!"

"MOBP?" Tara asked, her face screwed up in confusion.

"Miracle. Of. Biblical. Proportions." Kim said lightly, before snickering wickedly, "Oh, Tim's caught, hook line and sinker," Kim smirked knowingly, "and wouldn't _dare_ hurt his girlfriend by making his relationship anything like his last few! As for Jim, he's not interested in girls right now, so I don't know..."

"Too into his studies?" Tara prodded, which drew a shrug from Kim. Alex, however, had a feeling it was far more than that, and could tell from the look on Monique's face that the former gossip mistress was biting her tongue to keep from digging.

"Something like that." Kim shrugged airily, then nodded at the house, "Well, it looks like a few people are already here."

"Oh, God," Alex moaned as she saw a sleek, very expensive, and _very_ fast looking deep blue BMW sports sedan in the driveway, "Mom's already here..." She clapped a hand over her eyes and dragged it down her face in frustration. Her mother, after all, only brought out the Bimmer for work or when she wanted to impress. The only thing she could think was something that was unwittingly echoed in Kim and Monique's mind as Tara pointed out a souped up looking sports truck, _This is going to be a _long_ day..._

"Who's truck is that?" Tara's tone of appreciation would have shocked some people, but wasn't too much of a surprise to the girls in the car. Sometime during her senior year, she'd become interested in how cars worked thanks to a show on cable, and while she preferred to drive her far from stock sports compact car, she also liked the looks of sports trucks... And the suspension dropped, black Ford F-150, with big wheels and low profile tires, deeply tinted windows, big, chrome exhaust tips and an intricate blue and yellow flame job _definitely_ qualified as a sport truck!

"That would be Alex's mom's SO's." Kim supplied with another knowing smile.

Alex snorted in a mix of disdain and resignation, but admitted grudgingly, "At least it's not the bitch she was seeing a few months ago..." Her face twisted in annoyed grumpiness, "I _still_ can't believe she swallowed that bitch's line like she di-..." Alex was starting to work up a full head of steam when Tara's hand clasped her own.

"Lexi," Tara murmured softly, "she was lonely and looking for a rebound after a... What... Two and a half year relationship with that cutie she worked with?"

"He may be cute to you..." Kim and Alex huffed at the same time, Kim snapping out, "Jinx, you owe me a shot!"

"Make it a bodyshot and I'll make it a double." Alex countered.

"Fine by me." Kim shot back, somewhat surprising Alex, especially when the red-head only blushed instead of her normal, spluttering embarrassment.

"I'll hold you to that." Alex promised with a smirk before turning back to Tara and winking at the blonde. She continued speaking with Kim, however, her tone that of a good natured grumble, "What, not going to get tongue tied, Kim?"

"No reason, really." Kim flushed a deeper red as she continued, "I mean, I'm finally admitting that I'm interested in girls, instead of being ferociously stupid and trying to hide myself anymore, so..." She shrugged and smiled back at Alex.

"K, you've changed..." Tara said with an odd smile on her face, shaking her head in wonder, "But, I'll bet it'll all be for the better."

"Yeah, well," Kim shrugged, pointing at herself with a sheepish grin, "Even when they have moments of being a stupid little drama queen, everyone grows up, T."

"Yeah, well," Tara mimicked in a sing-song voice, bobbing her head left and right as she did so, "Even when they do, I have to say that's _bull_crap." Tara smiled in a bright, innocent fashion, drawing laughter from her two friends and fiancée as they piled out of the car, "You know Ron freaking Stoppable, after all!"

"Ron may still act like a child, and _you_ may not cuss, Tarball," Alex chuckled as she walked around the back of the car to grab her girlfriend's hand, "But _don't_ try and look all innocent." Tara blew a raspberry at her, drawing a knowing smirk from the brunette, "Hey, I know where that's been, so that means I _know_ better!"

"Oh?" Monique inquired with a raised eyebrow, "Well, if _Alex_ says you're not so innocent, it _must_ be the truth!"

"What," Kim interjected, "You know something about Alex and _that_ side of her life?"

"Er..." Monique blushed, deeply enough that it was visible despite her fairly dark skin, "Well, I _might_ have heard some things?"

Kim was about to push for more information, but she spied a sporty looking motorcycle with two riders pulling down the road at a barely legal speed. It was painted red, with the frame and some of its sharper lines painted blue. Both riders wore full leathers, wearing red helmets with the visors down. There was also red along the sleeves and side of the arms and legs, as well as covering about a quarter of the sides of their torsos. The rest was white, with deep blue piping along the seams.

The bike slowed and pulled into the driveway, pulling next to Alex's mother's sedan. The driver shut the engine down and dropped the kickstand, allowing his passenger, an athletic woman by the trim yet voluptuous figure presented, to dismount, before following her. The passenger was turned away from the Kim and everyone else as she pulled her helmet off, allowing a mass of shiny black hair, cut in an angled bob, to settle back into place. Alex barely paid any attention, however, as the leathers were _very_ form fitting, and the woman had an ass that rivaled Kim's or Tara's!

"Helmet, Babe?" Tim Possible asked after removing his own, and the woman handed her helmet to him, before beginning to unzip and remove the leather jacket from her frame.

"Thank you, Timmy." a voice that was obviously familiar to Monique, whose jaw had dropped open in shock.

"Is that..." she begged quietly, her eyes widening while forcing an excited half-keen from turning into an outright squeal. She glanced over at Kim for confirmation, while the red-head merely smirked at her long time friend.

"I _told_ you he wouldn't dare hurt her, didn't I?" Kim whispered back, winking before walking forward and raising her voice, "Hey, you two, how're you doing?"

"Hey, sis!" Tim called out, waving, then theatrically overreacting to his passenger's jacket suddenly slapping over his face.

"Kim-san! Monique-san!" the passenger cried, turning after tossing her jacket onto Tim's head, which drew some laughter from the collection of friends. Alex knew she'd be admonished for staring by Tara in a few moments, but couldn't help it, especially when the woman began running over; the woman was, in a word, stunning. Under her leather jacket she wore a pale yellow bikini top, fitted as if it were custom made. Despite it's somewhat modest design, it more than adequately showed off her bosom, which was mostly as ample as Alex's full D-cup. Even so, they were bouncy and firm looking, which fit well with the rest of her body, that of a martial artist. She had fairly narrow hips, which was unsurprising with her obvious Japanese heritage, but they had a very fetching flare and shape despite their narrowness. Her skin was a dusky olive tone, and flawless aside from a few thin, narrow scars visible on her abdomen and upper arms.

Her face was beautiful, with wide, high cheekbones, gracefully curved chin and big, wide set, steeply slanted onyx eyes. Her wide lips were perky, but thin, yet didn't detract from her beauty in any way. The smile she wore when she surged forward made her all the more breathtaking, and Alex found herself swallowing against a suddenly dry throat. "Who's that?" she asked Tara, who was similarly awestruck, much to Alex's relief. Both women could only stare as the Japanese woman all but dove at Kim and Monique, glomping onto the two heroines with unabashed gusto.

"I don't know, but she's familiar..." Tara said, then blushed, glancing at a similarly blushing Alex. The two girls giggled as once, then turned towards the apparent reunion happening in the Possible's driveway.

"Yori, IGTSYA, girl!" Monique chuckled as she was pulled into a hug. As soon as Yori let up, she leaned back and started explaining her shorthand, "Er... It's. Good. To-..."

"See. You. Again." Yori finished, winking up at her before turning back to Kim, "Hai, it is good to see you both."

"No doubt!" Kim said, blushing slightly as she gave Yori a once over, "And it looks like Tim's acclimated you to some American style customs?"

"Timmy and Jimmy both have, Kim." Yori admitted, blushing herself, "Though I sometimes have lapses... And will still call Ron-sama just that as it is the honor he has earned."

"Well," Kim said, shrugging as her brother walked over, hugging him in a way she likely wouldn't have as little as four years earlier, "It's to be expected. And you've grown again, haven't you?"

"Yup!" Tim laughed, sliding an arm around Yori's shoulders and pulling her close. She put one arm around his waist and placed another on his chest, leaning her head on his shoulder, "Jim and I figure we'll be almost as tall as Wade is now by the time our growth spurt is over."

"And _damn_ has that boy gotten tall!" Monique chuckled, shaking her head, "Six-four, last I saw him?"

"About six-six now." Tim nodded, then saw Alex and Tara with Kim and Monique, blushing lightly as he disengaged from his hug and held that hand out to the two ladies, "Oh, hey, Yori. This is Alex Eressos and her fiancée, Tara Larsen, friends of Kim and Monique from high school. Guys, this is Yori Yamanouchi, her great-uncle is the head of a private school in Japan."

"I am honored to meet you." Yori said, bowing slightly before extending her hand.

"As am I." Alex said, bowing in return before accepting the proffered hand.

The action obviously surprised Yori, who smiled delightedly at the action, her smile widening when Tara mimicked her fiancée, "Same here, and I hope you're not insulted if I say Tim's a lucky guy to have a girlfriend as hot as you!"

"Not at all." Yori blushed faintly at the compliment, "I am quite flattered that women _and_ men find me attractive."

"And I _know_ I'm lucky!" Tim chuckled as Yori grabbed his hand. As one, the group turned towards the house, the front door of which had opened revealing the tall figure of Elaina at the door. Kim seemed to tense up a bit, especially when Tim called out to her, "Hey, Firestarter!"

"Hey, Flirt," Elaina smirked, then smiled fondly as she spied Yori, "Fangirl."

"Fangirl?" Alex asked upon hearing that, just _knowing_ there was a story there.

"I may have overreacted when I first met She-..." at Elaina's suddenly cross look, the Asian woman winced slightly, "Elaina-sempai..."

"She's a huge fan of Elaina's." Kim supplied, chuckling when Yori flushed and hid her face in Jim's chest as best she could while walking, "As in, old Team Go posters with Shego as the focus, a couple of _signed_ individual Shego posters, a once again valid Shego Fanclub badg-..."

"Kimmie," Elaina groused in a surprisingly good natured fashion, "Enough, you're making _her_ blush worse than _you_ did when Drew tried to blush you out of existence!"

"Hey, Elaina..." Kim chuckled sheepishly, "Um, about this morn-..."

"Ron relayed your apology, Princess." Elaina sighed, stepping back and holding the door for everyone, "It's okay, so let's just let that drop, 'kay?"

"Sure." Kim nodded, and Alex noticed that she relaxed almost completely, even going so far as to let out a breath of relief, "I just hope this all works out, one way or the other."

"Hopefully..." Elaina and Monique said as one, Elaina continuing a moment later, "Ronnie's finishing up his steak marinade, but he did want to chat with you for a bit in the guest bedroom..." Elaina glanced back at her and raised an eyebrow, her face slightly worried and pensive, "If you're up for it..."

"In a bit, sure." Kim nodded, smiling and impulsively reaching out and hugging her friend, "I'm still sorry for this morning, but... Thanks for having my back, 'kay?"

"Any time, Princess..." Elaina sighed, hugging the red-head back and making Yori, Alex, Tara and Monique all gush quietly at them, "Any time..."

"Though I bet the next sparring session's going to be a pain." Monique said in a faux sweet voice as she looked between Kim and Elaina.

"Not likely, Muffin." Elaina groused, "_So_ not in the mood, y'know what I mean?"

"Yep!" Kim and Monique both chimed in together, drawing funny looks from Tim and Yori.

"You don't spar on the rag?" Alex needled, drawing a grunt of mild disgust from Tim, a titter from Yori, and half-glares from Kim, Monique and Elaina, "I'd think you'd wanna make sure you're ready, anytime, anywhere or something like that."

"Not this month." Elaina said as she closed the door, grimacing, "Too much drama and emotional bullshit right now."

"Is that Kimberly?" a voice familiar to all of them asked, drawing smiles from Kim and Elaina.

"Yeah, Drew," Elaina called back, "We're gonna head out to the back porch and hang with Eddie, the Harpy and Vivi."

"Now, Shego," Drew Lipsky said in a surprisingly fatherly tone as he walked from the kitchen to the dining room. One of his vines popped out from under his shirt and waved at them, a small pansy popping out and blooming in a rather happy manner, "You know that she's not _that_ bad..."

"Yeah, yeah..." Elaina waved him off, seeming to ignore his use of her 'work' name.

"Well," Alex said with a shrug, "she _is_ kind of a harpy, at times, anyway."

"And _you_ can say that because she's _your_ mom!" Tara laughed as they glanced out the rear French doors and windowed panels next to the doors leading to the back yard.

Seeing Alex's mom lounging against her apparent new boyfriend, who was in turn lounging on a folding chair, Monique let out a low moan of annoyance as they went out the rear door, shaking her head in resignation, "_He's_ datin-..."

"Red! Dimples!" Edward 'Motor Ed' Lipsky called out, raising an arm and waving. He was about to continue when a hand covered his mouth and a stern voice shushed him.

"Edward Eric Lipsky," Dr. Elizabeth Director admonished, keeping her hand in place, "The only dimples _you_ should be looking at are the ones on _my_ ass!"

"Er, yes, ma'am!" Ed gulped, earning a fond pat on the top of his head from the one eyed, auburn haired woman.

"Good boy!" she cooed, before ruffling his recently shorn mop of blond hair and turning to her daughter, "Afternoon, Alex, how's things with you and Tarball?"

"Fine..." Alex sighed, taking a seat near them and staring almost ferociously at Ed, "And you'd better not do anything to hurt my mom, or I'll _end_ you."

"Alex..." Betty declared warningly, only to be cut off by a chuckle from Ed, which drew a long suffering groan from the recently retired head of Global Justice.

"Hey, she's a lot like you, Patch!" the big declared, drawing a moan from Alex that matched her mother's.

"You sure know how to pick 'em, Mom..." Alex sighed, pushing herself up and glancing at the pool. She spoke again before her mother, who was staring at her open mouthed, or Ed, who was trying valiantly not to burst out into laughter, had a chance to, "I think I'm going to join Anne, that blonde chick and Elaina..."

**RGKM-RGKM-RGKM-RGKM**

Anne was was watching Ron from the sectional couch in the living room as the blond finished cleaning up in the kitchen. It'd been three hours since Kim and her friends had arrived and at Tara's urging, Ron had chosen to make up some fresh pico de gallo to go with his steaks and the vegetables he planned to grill with them. Anne had to admit, the fresh salsa smelled incredible. She frowned slightly as she glanced towards the back yard, seeing that Kim was making her way towards the patio doors. While she normally appreciated the new, more open floor plan of the den, dining room and kitchen they'd designed into the house after the Lorwardian walker had crushed it, there were times she regretted it. After all, giving her daughter and her, at least currently, ex-boyfriend some privacy would have set a little better with her. But, as the saying went, c'est la vie.

"You wanted to talk?" Kim asked Ron softly as she walked in from the back yard. It was just after four in the afternoon and all of the preparations had been finished. Anne smiled at the fragile smile the two of them shared, her eyes misting slightly at the oddly courageous mix of hurt, longing and determination she saw on her daughter's face. There was more there, buy Anne's gaze was drawn to Ron when he replied to Kim.

"Yeah..." The pain and longing were less obvious on Ron's face, with regret and wistful acceptance far more prevalent, but there was more. There was an understanding that nothing was set in stone, that this was just another step along the road of life. Looking at the fine young man he'd become, the elder of the room's red-heads couldn't help but smile at the maturity Ron was showing in the face of such a heart wrenching decision. "Mrs. Dr. P. said we could use the study since Jim 'n' Tim converted your loft into their lab..."

"Okay..." Kim nodded nervously, taking his hand as he led her off.

Anne sighed and shook her head, then jumped when Drew's voice interrupted her thoughts. "It's a pity," the blue skinned scientist sighed, "I honestly thought they were in it for the long haul..."

"Like James and yourself?" Anne asked with a sly smile on het face.

Drew nodded as if a fencer acknowledging a point, still standing next there looking on with an unreadable expression. His eyes, however, told her of his mixed, stormy emotions. Anne felt worry and sympathy welling up in her breast for the man. She honestly hadn't meant, all those years before, to interfere with his relationship with James. She'd known he was a bit unstable, but hadn't thought, by any stretch of the imagination, that he'd react as he had. And now, seeing him as he was? She wondered, not for the first time, how things would have been different had she approached him instead of James...

And how, at the moment, she had a chance to recapture what they'd once had. She'd seen them speaking earlier in the afternoon, after Ron had started the steaks soaking in the marinade and come out to the deck. The two men had shared some small talk, and sipped their way through about four shots of the Scotch. Then Drew had slammed back at least two doubles that he'd poured himself... Before going into the guest bedroom for some privacy. A half hour later the both of them had been a bit red-eyed, their eyes swollen with shared tears.

She'd spoken to James, and while he'd told her things were fine, now, there was something troubling him. She'd even asked if he'd spoken to Drew about the idea she'd discussed earlier... And gotten no answer beyond his suggestion that she speak to him. Glancing around, she noticed that they were, essentially, alone, and decided that there was no time like the present. "Drew..."

"Yes, Anne?" the man asked, starting and shaking his head as she interrupted some internal reverie.

She smiled up at him when she spoke, "How did your talk with James go earlier?"

"Er, talk?" Drew hedged a bit, a light blush staining his blue cheeks a soft lavender. His blush deepened to a full on purple when Anne merely raised a questioning eyebrow. He seemed to take this as a sign and tried to buoy himself with obviously false bravado, turning to look at some old pictures over the fireplace. They were mostly of Anne in maternity wear and early pictures of James, Kim as an infant and herself, "I, well... We... Talked, yes..." He swallowed slightly and reached up, grabbing his shirt's lapels and fiddling nervously with them, "About the past... The silliness from my first, failures... At the Bebe bots, I mean. Just the silliness and things from back then is all." He waved a hand as if dismissive, but it was obvious to Anne that he was nervous about the subject. Smirking softly as he dropped his hands to his hips, she stood and slowly approached him, taking care to be as silent as she could. She almost giggled as she noticed his blush was gone, and wondered how hard it would be to bring it back. "It's nothing to worry about Anni-... Er, that is, Anne... Just could have beens is al-..."

"Could have beens?" Anne asked from less than a foot away as he turned, that same soft smirk gracing her features. She reached up and straightened the twisted lapels of his shirt, making sure her fingertips brushed against the exposed skin of his chest as she continued, "He didn't mention... Could still bes?" She finished smoothing the lapels and laid her palms against his chest, her fingers outstretched. She sighed softly and stared up into his eyes, before she gently slid them down his surprisingly solid pecs, until her fingertips slid away from his slightly pudgy but solid abdominals. _He's built like a powerlifter..._ she thought absently as she cocked her head slightly as she moved her hands up to his solid forearms, _In fact... Kinda like Steve was before he joined the Marines... Thank _God_ I only _dated_ that stuck up prick!_ Steve, however, had been too strict emotionally for her to be aroused by, unlike the nervous Drew, which, combined with a body she truly, honestly appreciated, was arousing her more than most would realize.

"A-Anne?" Drew half choked. Anne knew he'd seen the odd flash of humor in her eyes when she'd thought about Steve, and decided to use it to her advantage. "Sh-shouldn't we let the past lie in its place? You have James, a-and..."

"I know that you're interested in both women _and_ men now, Drew..." the red-head cooed, half-smiling and half-pouting, but keeping the pout a bit lower than her infamous Puppy Dog Pout, "I've seen how you look at women like Lucinda down in X-Ray, or Dr. Slocomb in the lab..." She reached over and, with a boldness that made Drew swallow nervously, laid her hands on his where they rested on his hips, "Even... No, _especially_ James... Or Shego when you don't think they're looking..." She let her pout intensify somewhat, mixing in a bit of the smokiness she felt from being so close to a man she'd been thinking about more and more the past five years, "I haven't seen you look at me that way, though..."

"I've been caref-... Er!" Drew's blushed once again, which made Anne quite happy. She immediately cocked her head in the other direction while tilting forward slightly. Drew backed up slightly, his elbows brushing against the corner of the front wall and the fireplace, leaving him almost trapped there.

It was then that Anne brought out the full power of the PDP. Her lower lip quivered, her eyes growing big and round, while her brows knitted together in a slightly off kilter fashion, and she drew her hands in front of her. That's where she added in a sultry aspect she normally reserved _just_ for James; she squeezed her arms together, which squished her breasts together and pushed them up. The 'window' cutout that showed off her cleavage was now somewhat strained in covering her chest, especially when she drew in deep breaths and them out in as if fighting off tears. This resulted in her full, perky breasts becoming more prominent for a brief moment, before falling and bouncing at the bottom of the huff. She finalized her move by sidling in very close to him, so much so that her breasts were shoved up between them, the front edge of her hip was brushing against his crotch and her legs splayed slightly around his right leg.

The effect on Drew was surprisingly immediate. Anne felt a bulge at the front of his board shorts and he let out strangled groan of worry. Somehow, he slipped his leg around hers, while at the same time sliding his body around her and out of the corner. "Dwewbie?" Anne asked in a childishly innocent manner as she intensified her pout enough that it almost looked as if tears were about to fall... Although the very eyes that seemed close to leaking were dancing with a mischievous, smokey fire.

"I, um..." Drew said, backing up a step as Anne took one forward, "May have looked at you? I mean..." Anne took another step forward, and Drew responded in kind, holding his hands up as if in surrender, "You're a _very_ attractive woman, Anne! Very, _very_ attractive! So of course I looked, but, I..." He took a double step back as Anne's expression changed, the pout dropping instantly, her eyes narrowing and a predatory gleam of enjoyment replacing the watery expression of implied hurt. Her stance changed as well; gone was the demurely innocent display, and in its place were lithe movements, as if a cat stalking - and playing with - its prey. "You're with James, and I, er, worry that you might risk your relationship with him if you pursue this! I'm _happy_ for James and you, truly I am!"

He stopped speaking and moving when his legs butted against the coffee table. He swallowed against a dry throat as Anne stalked forward, seeming to mold her frame about his without touching him... Except with the finger that trailed up and down his chest in lazy, randomly sized circles, "And you think inviting you to share in our relationship might threaten that?" Anne asked. When Drew nodded vigorously, she smirked and shook her head, placing her hand fully on his shoulder and grasping with firm, reassuring pressure, "James and I have spoken about this, Drew..." She reached up and cupped his cheek, "He still loves you... He _has_, and he never _stopped_... Though that was threatened when he found out you were one of our daughter's enemies..."

"Er..." Drew's sheepish expression was too darling for Anne to stop the girlish giggle of delight from bubbling up from her throat, "Sorry?"

"_That_ is something I'll gladly leave in the past, Drew..." She said, the giggle still lurking in her voice. Strangely, it didn't seem to alter the impression that she was a predator, "But, you see... Even back then, I was... Interested in you. Had you not left, I would have approached you and asked if you'd... Like to try..." She bit her lip, the coy expression made a lie by the soft smirk that suddenly graced her features once again, "And now, I'm asking you... Would you be interested in... Exploring... That possibility with James and I?"

Drew opened and closed his mouth several times, unable to formulate an answer for her. Her smirk slowly spread into a far more devilish expression, and she leaned up, going on her tip-toes to whisper into Drew's ear as she allowed her hips to ease forward, brushing against the more noticeable bulge in his pants, "You seem to _like_ the idea... And your silence implies that you're considering it..."

"I, er, yes, well..." Drew started, staring around the living room in an almost frantic manner. The red-head knew it was in part due to her, to him, sudden aggressiveness. Drew had never seen her like she was at that moment, though James had for some years. In a part of her mind, she idly wondered what he was thinking; a moment later, he seemed to have read her mind, as hsi words answered her question, "It's not that easy, Anne! I mean, there's years of animosity..."

"Which is all in the past, Drew..." Anne chuckled, raising one of her hands to brush her fingernails up the side of his neck to his chin. The action made Drew gulp and seemingly forget that he was, in essence, trapped between Anne and the coffee table, as he tried to step backwards. He ended up tripping himself up and, unconsciously, reached out to Anne to try and keep his balance. Anne let out a subdued, squealing giggle as he pulled her over on top of him while he fell onto the short end of the sectional. The giggle, however, was short lived; as Drew fell, his six foot three inch frame led to the back of his head striking the front of the couch's arm, which was unpadded oak. The loud, hollow sound of a person's head striking solid oak echoed through the living room, followed immediately by a yip of pain from Drew and a squeak of concern from Anne.

The red-head was almost immediately in doctor mode as Drew half curled up and his hands flew to the back of his head. She pulled his hands away to get a good look at the spot, heedless of the fact that his face was now being pressed firmly into her bosom. All she knew is that she was thankful his struggling hands stopped struggling, and she was able to check the impact point out. Luckily, his skin was not split, and while there was a tiny knot, it would likely not grow much, based on her experience with a clumsy husband, world saving daughter and often hyperactive twin boys. "Looks like you'll get a knot, but otherwise you should be fine, Drew..." She murmured, sighing in relief at the truth of her statement.

"Er, Anne?" Drew finally managed to choke out, his hot breath spreading across Anne's chest and upper belly. Anne squeaked again slightly, but made no move to change her position, waiting for the man below her to decide what he wanted to do. That was quickly resolved as the blue skinned scientist drew himself back, sliding down the couch a bit and laying his head just inside the couch's arm. With a deep, purple blush spreading rapidly across his face, he choked out, "I... N-not that I-I... That I _dislike_ y-your attentions... Er, but... Um..."

Anne tittered and lowered herself down, crossing her arms so her forearms were braced against Drew's chest. She moved to straddle his hips, seemingly mindless of the still solid bulge she felt between her legs, and shook her head, "Because, you silly man! You and my Jimmie obviously still care for each other a great deal... Honestly, Drew, as I said, he never really stopped loving you despite everything..." Anne reached up and smoothed a few stray hairs from his face, leaning to the right slightly so her weight was partially against the back of the couch... And off of his crotch, which she knew was distracting him quite a bit, "And, honestly? You're not unattractive, and you have a _wonderful_ body... I'm serious when I say I'd like to see what happens between the three of us, Drew. Even if that means I take a secondary position in the relationship with James, I want _my man_ happy..." A sudden, deep flush spread across her features, the look in her eyes making it obvious she was both aroused and embarrassed at her following words, "Though, to be honest... I could find myself loving the both of you equally..."

"A-Anne..." Drew gulped, looking everywhere but at Anne's beautiful face. The red-head pursed her lips and forced him to look at her, raising an eyebrow questioningly, "I... You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"Where do you think Kimmie's stubborn streak comes from, Drew?" Anne smiled, leaning forward to plant a friendly kiss to his lips, "I told you, I asked James to approach you back then, but by then, you'd already snapped..." She shook her head as he fidgeted a bit, and chuckled, "And that's one thing I'll never understand! You're obviously comfortable in your body and with your sexuality, but _why_ do you get so _nervous_?"

"I, er..." Drew shrugged sheepishly, "It's the way I am? I've always accepted the physical side of myself and both my physical and emotional attractions, but when someone else says I'm attractive?" His primary vine, still sporting its pansy, chose that moment to pop out and regard them. It seemed to bloom slightly when it looked at Anne, then seemed to wilt in annoyance as it turned to Drew. The scientist, whose skin had mostly returned to its normal blue tone, shook his head and saying firmly, "I just got James back as a friend recently, I didn't wan-..." The vine reared back slightly, forming a 'U' shape, and firmly tapped his forehead with the bottom of the 'U'.

Anne giggled at the action and Drew winced, before scowling at the vine and declaring, "Fine, I will, but the first sign that I'm causing them trouble!" He shook his hand at the vine, who glanced back at Anne and crossed over itself, as if a performer folding their arm in front of them, and then bowed, before retreating back into the folds of Drew's shirt. "You think you're all that, Emilia, but-..."

"She's really a sweetheart." Anne concluded for him, winking as she added, "And obviously has your best interests at heart, Drew..."

"Yes, well..." Drew huffed, biting his lip and looking away in a surprisingly feminine manner before glancing back at Anne, "How... Will this work?"

"How 'bout we start small?" Anne asked, idly run her fingers along his chin, "We go out for a few drinks and dancing tonight, and maybe an actual date tomorrow or Saturday?"

"That sounds-..." Drew started, only for Ron's voice to interrupt with the very word he was about to use.

"...alright?" Anne and Drew both looked towards the stairs, where Kim and Ron were walking down the hall from the study, still hand in hand. Anne, knowing the both of them very well, could tell that it was a gesture that they used to share, before they'd started dating.

Kim let out a sighing laugh, squeezing his hand. "Yes, Ron..." she managed a laugh, watery as it was, "I'll be fine, I promise."

"Okay..." Ron said, not sounding entirely convinced but letting it drop as they walked back to the porch.

"Well, that seems to have gone well." Drew sighed, then glanced at Anne. With a somewhat tense smile, he murmured, "Anne... Okay, you and James win. We'll _try_ this..." He held up an admonishing hand, a finger outstretched, "But! If it causes you and James too much stress..."

"No worries, Drew." Anne said, winking down at him.

"Now, um..." Drew flushed slightly, "Could you, perhaps, let me up? I, um... Wouldn't want-..."

"I'm comfy, though..." Anne protested, pouting down at him, though not using the full force of her PDP.

"Please, don't turn that up!" Drew begged, then scowled a bit, "Honestly, Anne! You can act like... Like... Such a _teenager_ at times!"

Anne squirmed her hips a bit, enjoying both the physical sensation and the emotional boost at the reaction from her and her husband's apparent boyfriend. Then - while making her reluctance to stand _quite_ obvious - she pushed herself up and offered him a hand, before answering, "And people wonder why James' and my relationship is so solid?"

"Why do I feel as if I'm going to regret this?" Drew asked, only to feel Emilia whap him lightly on the back of the head. He reached back and, gently, grasped her before dragging her in front of him. He made sure the pansy, which looked to be more than pleased with herself, was looking at him when he continued, "And you! I've had just about enough of _your_ lip today! I swear, I thought when Shego joined Team Possible I was _done_ with lippy sidekicks!"

**RGKM-RGKM-RGKM-RGKM**

The sizzle of steaks as they hit the hot grill drew everyone's attention quite easily, despite Betty, Ed, Alex, Tara and Yori's frolicking in the pool. The most comical reaction came from the gaggle of scientists gathered around a card table discussing various new breakthroughs in their respective fields. They stopped and stared, and Elaina could almost hear them drooling from her more distant position. She couldn't help but laugh at their actions and how the sound had cut through their conversation like a knife, drawing a few titters from Monique and Kim as well. At least their attention went back to the former conversation when Ron started placing the vegetables on the grill. Shaking her head, she turned back to her non-superpowered partners as Kim cocked her head, "So you're going to be up in Montana for a week?"

"More like five or six days." Elaina answered, smirking slightly as she turned to Monique, "And yes, I know that's semantics, and don't care!"

"Whatever..." Monique said airily, taking a seemingly uncaring sip from her bottle of beer, "I'm more interested in _why_ you're going up there!"

"Visiting with my gramps and some family friends." Elaina said without any deceit visible in her features. She hid the relief she felt when Monique and Kim accepted that at face value. She glanced back over to where the scientists had started getting boisterous once again, now with the addition of the thoroughly soaked but obviously besotted Doctors Betty Director and Edward Lipsky. She shook her head, her mind honestly still having trouble wrapping around the fact that Edward had become fast friends with nearly the entire Possible clan, and by extension, Team Possible, as easily as he had. _Or_ that he'd earned enough trust from Betty Director to not only befriend her, but enough that she'd go out with him! She was saved from thinking about the more frustrating beginning of that odd friendship by Monique's voice speaking in a quiet, considering manner.

"That's great..." Monique smiled softly, "So things're back where they should be with him?"

"Yeah..." Elaina sighed, a mix of melancholy for missed years and relief that her statement was true enough. She was about to speak again when she glanced around, then frowned and addressed Kim, "Hey, I thought Nerdlinger and Bashful were supposed to show with their significant others?"

"They got delayed, but should be here any moment." Kim said with a smile, though Elaina knew that Kim wasn't being completely honest about her comment by the way her eyes shifted to the left. Granted, Kim had improved at keeping her thoughts hidden over time, but as well as the former thief knew her, she could still easily read the red-head. The heroine, seeing that Elaina wasn't buying her deception, took a long sip of her hard lemonade to try and distract anyone from what she _wasn't_ saying.

Elaina smiled and was about to call her on it when the patio doors - which had been closed to keep the smoke from cooking out of the house - opened to reveal Wade and Jim... Hand in hand.

The movement somehow caught everyone's attention, which made Wade blush deeply enough to be visible despite his rather dark skin. Jim merely smiled at everyone, the expression a brilliant display of happiness. Even so, he was obviously as nervous as Wade, though the first spoken words came from Ron in a most unexpected manner. "Wade, you _dog_!" the blond cried in a happy tone, flipping two of the steaks as he did so.

Elaina, not to be outdone by her teammate, piped up as well, "Way to go, Nerdlinger!" She raised a half empty bottle of her favorite lager in salute, adding, "It's about time someone landed Bashful there!"

There was another brief moment of silence, and then everyone erupted in what could only be described as congratulatory fervor. The most intense was from Tim and James Possible, who were up and clapping both boys on their shoulders and backs respectively. Wade's blush, if anything, deepened, but at least he smiled, while Jim's face was suffused with a flush of pure happiness.

Elaina found herself standing and approaching the boys, along with Monique, Kim, Tara and Alex, all of them wearing smiles, though Kim's expression was more one of relief than anything else. The red-head glomped onto both of them, throwing her arms around their necks, murmuring, "Told you guys it'd be fine!"

"Thanks, sis!" Jim said back, choking comically at the tight hug. His joking action was soon a very real possibility, as all of the ladies crowded in and joined the hug, while Anne merely smiled as she looked on. Elaina, after a moment of looking around and seeing the acceptance on everyone's faces, joined the hug briefly. When the group hug finally broke, she stepped up and offered her hand to Wade, then Jim, murmuring a genial, "Congratulations, you two..."

"Thanks, 'Laina!" Wade chuckled in embarrassment, his expression shy and enthused as one.

"Yeah, thanks, Mean Green..." Jim agreed, then glanced at Ron, "Should we go bug the Ronster, or is he too into the cooking?"

"You could always ask me, y'know..." Ron said without taking his gaze from the sizzling steaks, even as he set the grilled vegetables aside on a waiting plate. He glanced up for a moment and winked, which just as well have been a signal as Jim, Wade and Elaina approached him, while the rest of the girls went back towards the pool. Wade and Jim exchanged a few pleasantries with Ron, Jim sticking around a moment after Wade left to say to the blond, "Thanks for the cooking tips... He loves my cooking now!"

Ron nodded, then glanced at Elaina, who was staring at him. She knew he sensed her nervousness, but didn't care; she had something to say to him, and since they had a small bubble of privacy, she figured she'd jump in with both feet. "So, y'knew about those two, did you?"

"Only after Jim asked me to help him out with cooking... About eight months ago..." Ron smiled at her with that guileless gaze she'd once hated, but now...

"Well, good job keeping it to yourself." Elaina chuckled. A moment later, her smile faded, and Ron gently prodded her shoulder.

"What's up?" he asked her gently, not realizing that was the exact manner that would open her up to him. She marveled briefly at how he did it, before speaking.

"What's up is..." She paused and glanced around again, then spoke softly, "I'm just... This morning, I overreacted..."

"I noticed." Ron said when she paused, smiling at her even as she half glared at him, "Hey, no death glares while I'm cooking!" With that, he tapped them with his finger to check doneness, and flipped them one last time. Some he moved to slightly warmer areas, while a few he set aside where they would finish upcooking, but not overcook. Rufus, who was standing on a shelf jutting from the brick wall surrounding the grill area looked on with a secret smile on his face, and made subtle shooing motions at her, as if to tell her to get on with it.

"Yeah..." She gave the naked mole rat a brief, stifling look before continuing, "The reason is, well..." She took a deep breath and waited for him to finish and focus on her, "I... I've liked you for a while, Ron, and I noticed the stress between you and Princess... I was worried I might... Regress, I guess?"

"Huh?" At Ron's confused grunt, the former thief sighed and growled to herself for a moment, trying to calm herself before continuing.

"Okay... You know this break you two're on?" Ron nodded, "Well... I've been hoping something... I was worried I might _push_ you two into something..." She sighed and glanced away, "I like you, Ron..."

"Well, we _are_ pretty much best friends, right?" he asked, earning a wince from Elaina that confused him all the more.

"Yes, but... Well..." She sighed and bit her lip, turning back to him and clasping her hands behind her back. The pose was unconsciously submissive, something that would have driven the proud woman into a fit of rage six years earlier. Now, however, it helped her to center herself, to allow her to press her point, as haltingly as she was getting to it, "I... Kinda like you... As more than a friend, Ronnie..."

"Er?" Ron blinked stupidly for a moment, before swallowing against a suddenly dry throat, "As in... _Like_-like?"

"Doy..." Elaina tittered, so blindsided by his completely junior high school phrasing that the sound didn't bother her in the least, "Yes, Sport... I _like_-like you..." She took a breath, speaking as she let it out, "Look... I'm takin' off for five or six days, right? To find myself, after the last couple months and all..." Ron nodded, an odd, half-smiling grimace on his face. She took another breath and pushed on before she could stop herself, "I was wondering... If, well... If you and Kimmie don't get back together before I'm back, if you'd like to go out next Thursday?" Ron blinked, obviously not expecting the conversation, let alone her question.

"And why would ya wanna go out with me, Elaina?" Ron asked while looking at her in honest confusion, "I mean... I'm not all that buff or good looking or anything..."

"Not all tha-..." Elaina gasped, then stared at him, open mouthed, for several seconds. _His cluelessness would be cute if it wasn't directed at me!_ the stray thought left her more frustrated than amused, and she snapped her mouth shut to glare at him. The blond, despite being the Mystical Monkey Master, had the decency to look chagrined and nervous as she snapped at him as quietly as she could, "Probably because you're basically single now, I've _been_ single for... Some time..." She glanced away and blushed, but smiled slightly before turning back, "And, well... _I_ think you're cute, and your body is damn near perfect, even if you're shorter than the guys I used to chase after for a roll in the sack..." Ron opened his mouth as if to protest, but a raised finger stopped him, "Don't _even_ deny that you're cute, Doofus! You've been told I don't know _how_ many times you're hot property, so just stop while you're ahead..."

"Er, okay..." Ron blushed, and Elaina saw he knew as well as she did that any protest would be false on his part.

"So, yes, I haven't been interested in the big, buff guys for years, _and_ I think you're cute... _Very_ cute, even if you _are_ a clueless buffoon at times!" She huffed the last out, crossing her arms over her chest and glancing away in frustration as he shrugged.

"Sorry, Elaina, it's just..." He sighed and reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder, giving her a bemused smile, "I'm not used to girls being that interested in me..."

"Probably because you spent so many years pining away for Kimmie and acting like a clueless moron you actually believe you're that unattractive?" Ron winced and flushed in embarrassment, opening and closing his mouth with odd, gurgling sound coming out. Finally, he shut his mouth and nodded mutely. "Doy!" Elaina snapped, before huffing a sigh and turning back to him, "And don't you dare think you've distracted me, boy! I want an answer..."

"Er..." Ron's smile became decidedly plastic, and he shrugged in embarrassment, "Um... Sure?"

"Good." the pale woman nodded with finality, dropping her arms to her sides and letting out a cleansing breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Um..." Ron blinked, glancing at Rufus, "Did what I _think_ just happened, just happen?"

"Hnk, Elaina asked you out!" Rufus signed in American Sign Language, modified slightly for his lacking a fifth finger, "And you said yes!"

"Okay..." Ron glanced over at Elaina, who was now staring at him with a droll, annoyed expression on her face, one eyebrow raised, her right hip cocked out slightly and that hand fisted upon it, "Er... Not that I mind or anything, um... I mean, you're a badically hot babe, and I'd be kinda stupid to mind that, and you're a really good friend, too, and I'm lucky you're interested, even if I just broke up with Kim and..." He halted his speech as Elaina's eyes narrowed in annoyance. She hoped he didn't see the worry and hurt his declaration had engendered in her, but was disappointed when he grimaced and went on. Thankfully, his words were calmer, "Er, sorry... Um... I just... I honestly didn't think you'd be interested in me, Elaina... Or that you'd move in that quick, I guess? You kinda blindsided me..."

"I know..." Elaina sighed, grimacing herself, "But, well... Like I said, Ronnie... You're hot property, and when word gets out - and it will, don't think otherwise - that you and Kim are 'on a break'," the air quotes were exaggerated in a way only the former thief could manage, "you're going to be bombarded with interested ladies... And, well... I didn't want to come back to find out I'd missed my chance..."

"I see..." Ron said with a smile, taking the rest of the steaks off of the grill and setting them aside to finish cooking. He glanced back at her and cocked his head slightly, "Um, you really think girls would've..."

"Yes!" Elaina groused, "In a heartbeat... And, knowing you, it'd be some girl you'd wanna actually try and get into a relationship with!" She glanced over at him as he opened his mouth to speak, but she shocked him into silence as she began to blush and gave him one of her rare, completely heartfelt and honest smiles, "And, honestly, I wanna be that girl, Ron."

Ron stared at her for all of five seconds before blush and smile of his own began to spread across his face. "Okay." he said after a moment, "I... I think I can live with that... Um, so... I guess... Should I call you my girlfriend, or..."

"If you want to." Elaina said, to which Ron simply nodded. "Good..." She said again, though this time in a softer, more comfortable tone, adding, "If you don't mind me calling you my boyfriend?" He nodded again, and she sighed, glancing over at the crowd by the pool. Kim was in a deep conversation with Alex, which was a relief to her. If Kim had the slightest inkling what was going on, she might be more than a little angry, friendship or not... "Hey, Ronnie? We... Might not want to say anything 'til next week... I mean, unless a certain someone tries to set you up with someone... We don't want Kim to get the wrong idea, y'know?"

"I'll make sure Mo knows," Ron said with a chuckle, "And... If Kim asks after you're done with whatever you're doin' up in Montana, I'll say you asked me over the Kimmunicator..."

"Tell ya what," Elaina chuckled, "I'll call again and ask, just make sure you're around everyone and we'll be golden."

"Does KP know what you're going up to Montana for?" Ron asked quietly, drawing a worried smile from Elaina.

"No, but..." She pursed her lips in thought, "But... I might hint at it tonight on the way up, since she's going to fly me up..."

"Oh, okay..." Ron nodded, then glanced at the steaks. They were ready, and he couldn't wait to hear people's reactions, so he reached over to Elaina, who was still staring at Kim, to prod her shoulder, "Hey, grab one of the rares, and I'll get everyone else's attention..."

"Oh, _sure_," Elaina griped good-naturedly, "make me look like the greedy one waiting right at the grill why don't ya!"

"Hey," Ron chirped with a bright smile, "it'll make the whole 'secretly asking me out but not wanting to look like you're asking me out' thing more believable!"

Elaina blinked at him as he turned away, then glanced at Rufus, who shrugged and said, "He's right!"

"Doy..." the superpowered woman groaned as Ron called out to the rest of the cookout... But gave the blond that'd stolen her heart a few years earlier a secret smile, not caring that the expression was completely contrary to the bad-assed image she still sought to portray to the world at large...

**Author's Notes**

Okay, I'll admit, that ending was cheesy in the extreme, but... I couldn't help it! Hopefully the chapter didn't drag out, but this slow stuff is going to be vitally important later on. Lots happened in this chapter, but I sincerely hope everyone enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! A quick thanks to Neo the Saiyan Angel for her input on my Drakken/Drew Lipsky, as she is one of our favorite blue man's biggest fans!

As a quick side note, I'm the co-author with Neo the Saiyan Angel on a fic called "A Touch of Warmth", a fic set not long after the turn of the prior century and following the exploits of Miriam Possible, Jon Stoppable, Bartholomew Lipsky and Miss Go. Just felt I should give a shout out, since it was updated fairly recently.

Anyway, thanks for reading! And please remember, everyone: there's lots of fics out there so keep up the reading, and if ya like a fic, have some advice or etc., give the author a review!


End file.
